Lead investigator on Pistorius case charged with attempted murder

The detective leading the prosecution of Oscar Pistorius is facing seven charges of attempted murder, police have confirmed.

Detective Hilton Botha has faced fierce questioning over an alleged shooting two years ago. A South African police spokesperson said that Detective Botha and two other police officers were due to appear in court in May.

It is alleged that while driving a police vehicle the three detectives opened fire on a passenger-filled minibus taxi.

The charges against Detective Botha were originally dropped but have now been reinstated. It is unclear whether he will continue to work on the case during his trial.

Mr Pistorius, charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, is now requesting bail, the hearing for which will end this week. The revelations about Detective Botha are a shocking twist in events of a hearing that has been awash with drama.

Yesterday, Detective Botha, who initially stated he found steroids in Mr Pistorius’ bedroom, had to hastily correct himself to say “two boxes of testosterone, needles and injections” . When questioned further, Botha had to admit that he could not be certain of the contents.

Mr Pistorius says he shot Ms Steenkamp in the bathroom of his home after mistaking her for an intruder. If denied bail, Mr Pistorius could face months in jail before a full trial begins.

Eleanor MacKay