A metro police officer didn’t discriminate between musician Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye and his co-accused, Themba Tshabalala, when he tested them for drugs and alcohol, the Protea Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.
“To me there’s no difference between accused number one [Maarohanye] and accused number two [Tshabalala]. To me they are the same,” Constable Gideon Maseko told the court.
He was responding to a statement by Maarohanye’s lawyer, Ike Motloung, who suggested Maseko conducted a drug test on Maarohanye because of his celebrity status.
“You came there knowing that you will find something, be it drugs or alcohol. Especially with my client.”
Motloung said Maarohanye was made to blow into an alcometer, used to test the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood, more than five times.
Maseko denied this, saying: “Both suspects did not give me any problems.”
He said Maarohanye and Tshabalala’s gestures led him to suspect the two were on drugs.
Long explanations
Maseko at times wouldn’t answer some of Motloung’s questions, opting instead to give long explanations.
He is the second state witness to take to the stand at the musician’s murder trial.
Maarohanye and Tshabalala have pleaded not guilty to the 10 charges against them. The two face four counts of murder with alternate charges of culpable homicide, two counts of attempted murder with an alternate charge of reckless or negligent driving, use of drugs — mainly cocaine and morphine — and driving while under the influence of drugs. They are also charged with failure to ascertain the extent of the injuries caused by the accident.
They are on trial following an accident that killed four children in Soweto on March 8 this year.
Andile Mtombeni (19), Phomelelo Masemelo (16), Mlungisi Cwayi and Prince Mahube, both aged 17, were killed as they were walking home from school.
Fumani Mushanana (17) and Frank Mlabo (18) suffered serious injuries, including brain damage. — Sapa