Two cops in dock for murder

ÜGEN VOS

JOHANNESBURG - The Arab community is seething over the senseless murder of a handcuffed Egyptian trader ahead of his marriage – and want the maximum penalty for two policemen and another man arrested in connection with the crime.

Nabil Hasballah, 32, who had been working extra hard to save money for his wedding, was shot dead at point-blank range at his stall in Bruma flea market last week.

His alleged killers were apprehended by other traders and security guards as they attempted to flee the scene of the crime, and yesterday appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

One of the suspects is a Nigel police constable, and the other is attached to the Germiston Flying Squad.

The Arab Associations Union (AAU) says South Africa’s Arab community has been ‘‘traumatised and angered’’ by the incident, and has now embarked on a series of protest marches to demand that Hasballa’s killers be brought to book.

Convenor Ahmed Habiballah says the two policemen approached Hasballa last Thursday, and ‘‘threatened to arrest him without any reason’’. They then proceeded to handcuff him.

Hasballah apparently asked his nephew to take a box of money, which one of the policemen then ‘‘knocked to the ground’’. One of the men then allegedly fired a single shot in the confusion, ‘‘murdering Hasballa in cold blood’’.

The Arab Associations Union marched on the Cleveland police station last Friday, and were again out in force as the suspects’ trial began yesterday.

The trio will remain behind bars until their case resumes on March 1. Habiballah says this has restored some of his confidence in the justice system, and that the AAU will ‘‘absolutely’’ continue monitoring the case next month.

The group says that it wants police to investigate the incident properly and arrest any remaining accomplices.

The AAU is also asking the South African judiciary to turn down a bail application by the suspects and ensure that they ‘‘be given the maximum sentences for their brutal crime’’.

Protesters demonstrating against the murder of the hawker yesterday said they had been threatened outside the court by a family member of the accused, himself a police officer.

Habiballah said the man did not take the gun from beneath his shirt, but placed his hand on it, revealing a bulge. He said the organisation would file a complaint of intimidation with police.