Vusi Ndlovu

Vusi Ndlovu

A senior policeman at Booysens police station was on Friday called to testify in the case of Richman Makhwenkwe, the man facing multiple rape and murder charges in the Johannesburg high court.

Senior Superintendent Siva Patcha, who was not on the list of witnesses, was called to testify on whether Makhwenkwe had opened a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm against the police at the Moffat View satellite police station.

Patcha told the court that the station had no computers to keep registered cases. He said they took statements from the complainant before transferring the case to Booysens police station where they were kept in the computer system.

"After the statement has been obtained from the complainant, the docket is transferred to the main station in Booysens," Patcha said.

In his explanation, Patcha said he had searched all the information data system for the docket that had Makhwenkwe's complaint, but could not find it. Makhwenkwe had on Thursday claimed that he had been attended to at Johannesburg Prison's clinic after he had been assaulted by the police.

The prison's nursing sister, Gloria Livi, told Judge Geraldine Borchers that Makhwenkwe had been treated only for an eye illness.

The case continues.