There was only one way it could have happened: Botha on Pistorius case

The former lead detective in South Africa’s investigation of the murder case against Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has resigned from the police force, police said Thursday. The decision by detective Hilton Botha to quit followed criticism for his bungling of the investigation into Pistorius’ shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on 14 February, as well as the revelation that he faced attempted murder charges for a 2011 case in which he fired at a vehicle. But in an interview to Times Live, the former lead investigator spoke about the intense and “unnecessary” pressure he had been under. [caption id=“attachment_653329” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Botha also feels that the State has a very strong case against Pistorius. AP[/caption] “Right from the beginning they [police management] knew how serious and high-profile this case was. They could have helped a lot earlier than they did. Having a senior general on the case would have seen things being done and reports completed a lot sooner. “I don’t need this [pressure] in my life. If I can get out of it I am going to.” For Botha, problems surfaced during the bail hearing when he was cross-examined by Pistorius’ lawyer. “A bail application is like a poker game. You cannot show all your cards. It was meant to be a bail hearing, not a trial within a trial. There are certain things that happened and what was said in court did not happen. “If it was handled like a proper bail application, there would not have been so many questions. At bail applications you do not have all the information such as forensics. I did not have all the information.” Botha also feels that the State have a very strong case against Pistorius. “When we went through the house we knew there was only one way the [killing] could have happened and I immediately told my commanding officer to arrest him.” Asked about the motive, Botha laughed: “I am off the case, out of the cops and cannot say anything more. Let’s just say the case is strong and is in capable hands.” You can read the entire interview HERE.