Top cop under fire on witness stand

The lawyer of an Aranos farmer, who is accused of killing his wife, has argued that Hardap Police Commissioner Kobus Meyer’s evidence in the matter is “one-sided” and “destructive”. Advocate Louis Botes, who is defending Willem Visagie Barnard, 61, said Meyer had said in his statement that the accused had opened the safe and showed him a 38mm. However, he testified in the court that Barnard told him that he could not remember how the firearm came into his hands. Aneta Barnard was shot dead on April 10, 2010, at the farm Choris in the Aranos District. Meyer testified that the accused had told him there was an argument between him and the deceased over the death of South African right-winger Eugène Terre'Blanche, which had angered him. However, the defence argued that Barnard’s statement did not mention a quarrel between the couple. The lawyer further put it to the witness that the statement did not say where the accused got the revolver. The witness could not adequately explain how these discrepancies happened. Botes claimed that Meyers had only refreshed his memory last week in connection with his statement. Meyer conceded that he should have informed the accused of his right to remain silent before asking what had happened to his wife. In his witness statement Meyer made on April 13, 2010, regarding what he had noticed and observed, he stated that he had explained to the accused his rights. However, yesterday Meyer said under cross-examination that it was the duty of the investigating officer to explain to the accused his rights. Botes further stated that the witness had testified that the accused was clearly severely intoxicated to the point of falling down and that he had to support himself against a wall in order to walk. But this was never contained in his witness statement. When asked why this fact, which could have served as a mitigating factor and which is also highly relevant, was not contained in his statement, Meyer said he left it to the investigating officer to include. WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN