/ 9 October 2008

Metro cops in trouble after N1 hijacking

Four metro cops may be in hot water for driving past rocks placed on the N1 highway where a Johannesburg man was ambushed and killed, police said on Wednesday.

”An internal investigation has revealed that two metro police patrol vehicles passed the rocks that were placed on the N1 highway, between the Malibongwe and William Nicol offramps,” said Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.

Director David Tembe, Johannesburg metro police head of operations, has dismounted the four metro police officers concerned.

”They have been instructed to do foot patrolling pending the outcome of the investigation due to the seriousness of the matter,” said Minnaar.

He said the patrol vehicles passed by the rocks on the road between 1.13am and 1.42am on October 2, when Arren Mahabir (32) was shot and killed.

Mahabir’s car hit the rocks, placed by robbers hiding in nearby bushes, at about 2.40am.

He was shot and killed as he and his fiancée, Valesh Naidoo, got out to change the burst tyre on their vehicle.

Mahabir was on his way to Durban at the time of the incident. — Sapa