Eight South African policemen who were filmed handcuffing a man behind their van and dragging him along the road have been found guilty of his murder.
A huge crowd watched as 27-year-old taxi driver,Mido Macia was fastened to the van just east of Johannesburg before it took off at speed down the street.
He was found dead in a police cell just two hours later.
The officers involved claimed Mr Macia, who is originally from Mozambique, resisted arrest and assaulted a police officer, however Judge Bert Bam said their defence was ‘fraught with discrepancies and improbabilities’.
Part of their defence involved claiming Mr Macia had fallen out of the van, at which point his handcuffs ‘accidentally hooked on to the back on the van’
He asserted that the officers were ‘trying to teach the deceased a lesson’ for swearing at the arresting office, and as a result Mr Macia suffered extensive head injuries, bruising and lacerations while in police custody.
The judge convicted eight officers of murder, while a ninth officer was acquitted earlier.
South Africa is known for it’s allegations of police brutality, however convictions of this nature are very rare.
The convicted officers will be sentenced on September 22, and could face at least 15 years in jail.
Source: Metro
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