Gang threats see charges dropped

Probe into intimidation, bribery of witnesses

POLICE have launched an investigation into gangsters threatening and paying off witnesses in a bid to get criminal charges dropped by the court. Two separate gang-related cases were withdrawn by the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court this month.

This, police say, is normally due to witnesses either refusing to testify, recanting their sworn statements or drastically changing their testimony during trial.

The probe comes a week after the Port Elizabeth gang task team announced that 102 suspected gangsters had been arrested since May.

About 20 gang-related shootings left eight people dead this month.

Police attributed the recent spate of gang shootings to a turf war in Bethelsdorp – specifically the Kleinskool area.

Police spokesman WarrantOfficer Alwin Labans said gangsters forcing witnesses not to testify was a “new twist”.

He said the task team was in- vestigating numerous cases in which arrests have been made and plenty of evidence gathered.

“But it now appears that complainants and witnesses in these cases are either intimidated or bribed to change their stories in court or simply not to attend court to testify,” he said.

The trend was spotted by police after a 26-year-old man was shot dead in a minibus taxi last week shortly after leaving the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared for a gang-related shooting.

Days after the shooting two rival gang members, one of them the witness and the other the shooter, refused to testify against each other, Labans said.

“It was a case of attempted murder dating back to February. One man was shot and based on his testimony, the accused was arrested and identified,” he said.

“In court the witness asked the magistrate for the case against the accused to be withdrawn, stating that he no longer wanted to testify. The court agreed and struck the case off the roll.”

In another case on Monday, two others were acquitted.

“The witnesses changed their testimony in court from what they originally said in their statements,” Labans said.

Detectives said that this was another tactic used by gangsters to evade prosecution.

“There is a lot of movement between various gangs, with members forming alliances and orders being given for them not to testify against other gangsters. In these cases, the witnesses are also threatened or bribed,” a police official, who did not want to be named, said.

“If, however, they choose to testify, the witness or the complainant is intimidated or bribed to comply with the gangsters. Perjury cases are opened in some cases but it is difficult to prove.”

Labans said this would lead to many cases being withdrawn.

“These actions by witnesses play directly into the hands of gangsters and they will continue to commit these violent crimes.”

A Helenvale community leader, who asked not to be named, said: “These gangsters threaten to kill you, your family and anyone else that it takes to get this done.

“In complete fear, the witness normally buckles and gives false information to the court that leads to the case being withdrawn.”