A NORTHERN Province taxi owner has been acquitted of attempting to murder Orlando Pirates defender Gerald Raphahlela. Raphahlela narrowly escaped injury when the vehicle he was driving was sprayed with bullets in Seshego township on December 21 1998. Kobedi Kubushi, 40, a taxi owner from Seshego, was discharged in the Pietersburg High Court on Wednesday. He was also acquitted on charges of murdering Mike Makoti, 37, who died in the incident, and of attempting to murder three other passengers. Kubushi pleaded not guilty to all the charges.