Gun pointed at crowd BY POLICEMAN

Mdluli in court: Gun pointed at crowd

2011-04-07

A firearm was raised by a policeman trying to control people in the public gallery of the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday ahead of the appearance of Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli and his three accomplices.

Armed police attempted to move people out who were not involved in the case to make space for various media houses.

One of them raised his firearm at those in the gallery.

NPA spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga had to step in and calm the situation.

The courtroom was so overcrowded that many reporters had to sit on the floor.

Police carrying rifles guarded every entry to the court room.

Mdluli linked to Krejcir

Also at court were investigators Piet Viljoen and Kobus Roelofse, who had been involved in the case involving drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti and former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi.

Selebi is in the process of appealing a 15-year sentence for corruption relating to his relationship with Agliotti.

Mdluli's arrest has been linked to a parallel court appearance in Johannesburg by Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir but this was dismissed by Mhaga.

Mdluli and three others - 52-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi, court orderly Samuel Dlomo, 49, and Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, 38, are accused of killing Oupa Abel Ramogibe in 1999.

They are charged with intimidation, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.

Ramogibe allegedly received death threats after marrying Mdluli's ex-lover and was told to leave her or he would be killed.

Hit list

He had opened an attempted murder case before his death.

Mdluli, who was the station commissioner at the Vosloorus police station in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg at the time, was accused of sabotaging the investigation.

A court order prohibits pictures of Mtunzi being taken.

Krejcir is in court after a urologist alleged in his own testimony that he helped Krejcir in his fraudulent claim of a R4.5m insurance policy for cancer.

During a search at his house, police allegedly found a hit list containing the names of murdered Cape Town businessman Cyril Beeka, the urologist Marian Tupy, prosecutor Riegal du Toit and security consultant Paul O'Sullivan.

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