Despite trying to give an image of a crime buster serving the best interests of the community, Laudium CPF Chairperson, Shaheen Wahab (Mangu) stands accused of having ‘blood on his hands’, as fingers point to him being jointly responsible for an accused in a murder case walking free.
A number of residents have told the Laudium Sun that they believe that the blood of the death of murdered victim, Mubeen Shamsoodien Omar, should also be on the hands of Mangu, who seemingly just cannot stop interfering in police work, resulting in many cases being botched, with suspects consequently walking free. Mubeen, a local attorney and former policeman, was cold bloodedly gunned down on New Years Eve, on the night of December 31, 2022, with family members still grieving and seeking for justice. While the death of Mubeen, who was gunned down outside his Laudium flat on Eosin Circle, shocked the community, the bigger shock seemingly was when the accused of his murder, walked out of court a free man. The accused in the murder case, Muhammed Shaheed Omar, who was arrested shortly thereafter, was however freed in court, as the state did not prove their case against him, more so as there were contradicting statements by the witnesses.
murdered on New Year’s Eve outside the Laudium flat where he was staying.
Now, family members are pointing fingers for the botching of the case, at the then head of visible policing in Laudium, Captain Ashraf Packree and two Laudium CPF members, Shaheen Wahab and Paul Bennet (who also runs Cllr Patel’s office). During the bail hearing of the accused, two days later (Jan 2), the investigating officer at that stage, Sergeant SN Makhado from SAPS Laudium, testified that a .38 special revolver, with 4 live rounds in it, was found next to the accused when he was arrested, hiding away next to a building approximately 100 meters from the scene.
Sgt Makhado also testified that gun-shot primer residue tests were done on the accused and that the test was positive. During the trial, Cpt Packree stated that he seized the firearm with live rounds close to where he arrested the accused. The expert photographer report confirmed that the firearm was photographed sticking out from a plastic bag. Captain Packree testified that the firearm was found underneath a brick and that the firearm was not in a plastic bag. It was evident that the crime scene was tampered with and that the photographer should have been questioned regarding the discrepancies with the scene.
Wahab, who promised to follow the case did not even appear, despite making the arrest.
A furious Jameel Bhana, the elder brother of Mubeen, who was also a former policeman at the Laudium Station, has now told the Laudium Sun, “As a family we want justice. It is clear to us that those involved with the arrest of the suspect and the finding of the firearm, helped in the release of the suspect. Proper police protocols in such kinds of investigations were not followed. I interviewed Shaheen Wahab after Captain Packree’s testimony. Shaheen confirmed to me that it was he and CPF member Paul Bennet, who arrested the suspect and seized the firearm. It is evident that Captain Packree and Sergeant Makhado lied during their testimony under oath, regarding the seizure of the firearm and ammunition. The current investigating officer, Warrant Officer Sello Molekwa, also interviewed Shaheen, who confirmed the same to him. It is also evident that the evidence as well as the crime scene were tampered with, based on the evidence of Captain Packree, Sergeant Makhado, and the photographer expert report. I cannot understand why Shaheen and Paul did not testify in court, as their evidence was crucial, since they made the arrest and handed over the firearm to Captain Packree. I have opened a case at the Atteridgeville Police Station requesting further investigation into the matter, with a view of charging those involved in defeating the ends of justice, perjury and the tampering of evidence and the crime scene, as I believe that these acts jeopardized the prosecution of the murder trial. The suspect in the murder trial was discharged in terms of section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, due to lack of evidence. However, I was shocked when I was contacted by the investigating officer, Sgt MD. Mosupye, regarding feedback on this case. Sgt Mosupye informed me that
he approached the witnesses in this case of perjury and defeating the ends of justice, Shaheen Wahab and Paul Bennet and that the pair refused to give witness statements in this case. I would like to place on record that I had an interview with Shaheen Wahab in 2023, where I voice recorded him. I was party to this voice recording conversation in terms of the POPIA Act. I request that this recording form part of the evidence in this case. Shaheen confirmed to me that he and Paul went in search of the suspect in the murder case Laudium CAS 02/01/2023 on the night of the murder. Shaheen also confirmed that they found the murder suspect in the back of a flat in Eosin Circle and arrested the suspect and handed him over to Cpt Packree on the murder scene. Shaheen also confirmed to me that he was aware that this issue regarding the arrest would come back and bite Captain Packree. I informed Shaheen that Cpt Packree testified under oath, that he arrested the murder suspect and seized the murder weapon on the evening of the murder. Shaheen then responded by stating that Cpt Packree ‘is a liar.’ Shaheen then confirmed that he and Paul had found the firearm used to shoot and kill my brother from the flat where they had arrested the suspect, after a certain Michael Bennet informed them that the firearm was at the back of the flat. During my conversion with Shaheen, he contacted Paul Bennet on his mobile phone and questioned Paul about the arrest and seizure of the firearm. Paul informed Shaheen during their conversation, which is also on the voice recording, that it was not Captain Packree who found the murder weapon (firearm). Shaheen confirmed to me that he would testify in court that he had arrested the suspect and not Captain Packree. Although Shaheen confirmed to me that he wanted to be involved in the murder case from the beginning, I find it very strange that the police did not take any statements from him and Paul and now that I opened a case against Cpt Packree, Shaheen and Paul are refusing to give a statement. Either way, I believe that Shaheen as a CPF Chairperson, should have known that something was ‘fishy’ when neither he nor Paul were asked to give a statement as key witnesses in the murder case, more so as he stated in the Laudium Sun (Jan 13, 2023) that, ‘This was a senseless killing and we, as the CPF, are determined to follow through with this case in order to ensure that justice is served.’ I am very disappointed in Shaheen and Paul not testifying in the murder case and now in the case I opened about defeating the ends of justice. I believe that there is some sort of corruption involved in the matter, keeping witnesses not to testify.”
Many residents have now accused Shaheen of failing the community and the family of Mubeen, in ensuring that justice has to be seen to be done.
One resident, Ahmed Jogi, said, “Shaheen has been carrying on as if he was the law. He often brags about knowing the police generals. Why did he not report the investigating officer to one of his police generals about the case sure to crumble, as he or his partner were not called to testify. It is common knowledge that the person who makes the arrest and more so who finds the murder weapon, should testify. The two are in the CPF. They should know better than anyone else, about basic policing rules. Since they became aware that Cpt Packree lied in court, they should have opened a case of perjury against him, but instead they don’t even want to give a statement against Packree. That is unacceptable. It is time for this Mangu to resign.
not give a statement to the police, nor testify.