A top cop who is suing his police bosses for “letting his son’s killers walk free” says the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn.
But Major-General Greg Goss, who is the Cluster Commander of eight police stations, including Mitchells Plain and Lentegeur, says while two key witnesses are finally on trial for lying on the stand, he will not stop his civil claim against SAPS.
Goss claims the case against his son’s murderers failed in court because of sloppy police work.
Greg Goss Junior, 29, was shot and killed outside his Eclipse Street, Elsies River, home on July 28, 2014, and two other persons were wounded, one of whom became a State witness, Stanton Kammies.
Goss told Daily Voice he knows for a fact that the 28s gang is responsible for killing his only son.
Two suspects were arrested, and Kammies identified them by name in his police statement and said he grew up with them.
But during a photo identity parade, he changed his tune and said he couldn’t recognise anyone.
The night before his girlfriend Carmen Jaftha was due to take the witness stand at the Parow Regional Court last year, he visited her home, allegedly convincing her to change her story.
The killers were set free in December due to a lack of evidence and called for a Section 174 discharge (double jeopardy), and were acquitted. They may now never be charged again for the same case.
Kammies and Jaftha are expected to appear at the Bellville Regional Court on July 5 where they will be facing a charge of statutory perjury under the Criminal Procedure Act.
According to NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila, the perjury case would have no impact on the murder case, unless new suspects are identified.
Meanwhile, disciplinary action against four police officers stationed at Elsies River, who were part of the murder investigation, is yet to be completed.
Last December, Goss lodged a formal complaint against both the National and Provincial Police, the National Prosecuting Authority, Minister of Justice and the State President, saying they let his son’s killers walk free after a poor investigation.
Yesterday, Goss told the Daily Voice: “I was advised by my legal advisor not to say anything, only that we are pursuing a civil claim against the police and the NPA.”