/ 23 May 2011

Drug tests under scrutiny at Jub Jub trial

The case against murder accused Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye and Themba Tshabalala was postponed in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Maarohanye and Tshabalala were allegedly drag-racing when one of their Mini Coopers ploughed into a group of schoolchildren on Mdlalose Drive in Protea North on March 8 last year.

Four children were killed in the accident and two others suffered severe injuries that included brain damage.

Maarohanye and Tshabalala are facing charges of murder and attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The case was postponed until Tuesday when a third witness will take the stand.

An ex-South African Police Service officer was cross-examined on Monday.

Renton Tsego was the police officer who received the results from metro police officers who had tested Maarohanye and Tshabalala for drugs and alcohol.

He received the documents and put them away in the safe, he testified. That was his only involvement. Tsego was briefly asked questions by the state prosecutor and the defence lawyers.

Drug tests
Earlier in the day, defence lawyer Ike Motloung said metro police officer Constable Velemina Mojela, who was testifying, was hiding something.

Mojela had testified that she had arrived at work at 6.55pm and drug and alcohol tests on Maarohanye and Tshabalala were completed by 6.15pm.

She had brought the log book from the day of the accident to court with her.

She said she had not checked at what time she started the drug and alcohol tests, but had recorded the time they were completed.

Mojela explained to the court how the drug and alcohol tests were taken and what apparatus was used.

Motloung was cross-examining her on her evidence given in terms of the timeline in which tests were done on Maarohanye and Tshabalala.

The evidence was to prove that the two men had tested positive for drugs and alcohol.

Family members of the children killed in the accident showed apparent frustration with Motloung’s question. — Sapa