Oscar Pistorius investigation to be finished by August
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The police investigation into Oscar Pistorius' killing of his girlfriend on Valentine's Day won't be completed until August, prosecutors said Saturday, ahead of the double-amputee Olympian's first court appearance in nearly four months.
The National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement that it was "content with the progress thus far" of the investigation, which will have taken nearly six months by the time the state is ready to proceed with Pistorius' murder trial.
Pistorius will return to Courtroom C at Pretoria Magistrate's Court on June 4. He is expected to appear for only 10 minutes, but will give the world its first view of him since bail was granted on Feb. 22 in a hearing that lasted nearly a week and during which he cut a broken, sobbing figure as details of the shooting were aired.
The NPA expects the June 4 proceedings to be "a mere postponement" ahead of another date in August. Meanwhile, police investigators continue to collect and scrutinize evidence and identify and interview possible witnesses to Pistorius' shooting of Reeva Steenkamp at his upscale home in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14.
Since Pistorius left public view, whisked away from the court building in the back seat of an SUV with darkened windows, his defense team has successfully appealed some of his bail restrictions. He has been living at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in an upmarket Pretoria suburb that is not far from the gated community in which he fired the shots through a toilet door that killed Steenkamp.
Pistorius denies murdering Steenkamp, claiming he mistook her for a nighttime intruder. The state says he killed the 29-year-old model and law graduate intentionally following a fight and charged the multiple Paralympic champion with premeditated murder.
But while Pistorius has been finding ways to cope "with his sense of isolation," according to a statement by his family, he faces a life sentence in prison if found guilty.
"We as the National Prosecuting Authority are content with the progress thus far on the currently continuing investigations,"the NPA said, "and we anticipate … the investigations shall be wrapped up by or before August 2013."
The NPA said the hearing would be presided over by Acting Chief Magistrate Daniel Thulare, who is not the same magistrate from the bail application.
There have been only two reported sightings of Pistorius in public since he was freed: an image of him on his carbon fiber blades walking on his practice running track, and a visit to a Johannesburg restaurant.
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Oscar Pistorius fined for unpaid taxes
Paralympic star's tax affairs investigated after he declared his assets during bail hearing over girlfriend's alleged murder
The Paralympic star facing a murder charge, was fined for unpaid taxes after being forced to declare his assets during his bail hearing, it was reported on Sunday.
South Africa's City Press newspaper said the tax authorities audited and fined the double-amputee runner "less than one million rand" (£69,169), which he duly paid.
Pistorius's uncle, Arnold Pistorius, gave only a four-word statement in response: "Oscar is tax compliant."
His agent Peet van Zyl, speaking from New York, added: "I am not aware of any of that. As far as I know his taxes were up to date. I didn't see anything from the South African Revenue Service to suggest otherwise."
Pistorius, 26, has admitted shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his luxury home in Pretoria in February, but claims he mistook her for a burglar. He is due back in court next month.
The Paralympian declared in a court affidavit during his application to be freed on bail that he earned around $630,000 (£415,265) a year and owned three houses and a vacant plot in South Africa with a combined value of nearly $1m.
City Press reported that he owns another house in Johannesburg, which he bought for 9.8m rand (£677,856) this year but this was not declared as part of his assets in the affidavit. City Press did not say if that house was bought before or after the killing of Steenkamp at his $500,000-home in a gated community in Pretoria.
Much of Pistorius's income is believed to have come from sponsors Nike and eyewear company Oakley, which suspended their deals after he was charged with murder.
His family has denied previous media reports that he is facing financial ruin because of legal costs, saying in a statement in March that those bills are "under control".
"While the family doesn't deny that Oscar's legal expenses are massive and that he has sold off some of his investments, including his racehorses," the family said. "Oscar will evaluate the cost situation on a day-to-day basis and make decisions as required."
Prosecutors say Pistorius's court hearing on 4 June, the first since his bail proceedings, will probably take less than 10 minutes and the case will be postponed until a date in August when it is hoped police will have finished their investigation.
Last week Van Zyl confirmed that the runner, known as the Blade Runner, will not return to the track this year. "It was always going to be a case of whether Oscar feels mentally ready to return to training, which he doesn't," he said. "He would need at least 12 weeks to get ready for the top level and six weeks of competition.
"He's not mentally and physically ready at this time. It's better that he focuses on the court case. He didn't talk to us about competing at any time."
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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The police investigation into Oscar Pistorius' killing of his girlfriend on Valentine's Day won't be completed until August, prosecutors said Saturday, ahead of the double-amputee Olympian's first court appearance in nearly four months.
The National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement that it was "content with the progress thus far" of the investigation, which will have taken nearly six months by the time the state is ready to proceed with Pistorius' murder trial.
Pistorius will return to Courtroom C at Pretoria Magistrate's Court on June 4. He is expected to appear for only 10 minutes, but will give the world its first view of him since bail was granted on Feb. 22 in a hearing that lasted nearly a week and during which he cut a broken, sobbing figure as details of the shooting were aired.
The NPA expects the June 4 proceedings to be "a mere postponement" ahead of another date in August. Meanwhile, police investigators continue to collect and scrutinize evidence and identify and interview possible witnesses to Pistorius' shooting of Reeva Steenkamp at his upscale home in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14.
Since Pistorius left public view, whisked away from the court building in the back seat of an SUV with darkened windows, his defense team has successfully appealed some of his bail restrictions. He has been living at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in an upmarket Pretoria suburb that is not far from the gated community in which he fired the shots through a toilet door that killed Steenkamp.
Pistorius denies murdering Steenkamp, claiming he mistook her for a nighttime intruder. The state says he killed the 29-year-old model and law graduate intentionally following a fight and charged the multiple Paralympic champion with premeditated murder.
But while Pistorius has been finding ways to cope "with his sense of isolation," according to a statement by his family, he faces a life sentence in prison if found guilty.
"We as the National Prosecuting Authority are content with the progress thus far on the currently continuing investigations,"the NPA said, "and we anticipate … the investigations shall be wrapped up by or before August 2013."
The NPA said the hearing would be presided over by Acting Chief Magistrate Daniel Thulare, who is not the same magistrate from the bail application.
There have been only two reported sightings of Pistorius in public since he was freed: an image of him on his carbon fiber blades walking on his practice running track, and a visit to a Johannesburg restaurant.
source
Oscar Pistorius fined for unpaid taxes
Paralympic star's tax affairs investigated after he declared his assets during bail hearing over girlfriend's alleged murder
The Paralympic star facing a murder charge, was fined for unpaid taxes after being forced to declare his assets during his bail hearing, it was reported on Sunday.
South Africa's City Press newspaper said the tax authorities audited and fined the double-amputee runner "less than one million rand" (£69,169), which he duly paid.
Pistorius's uncle, Arnold Pistorius, gave only a four-word statement in response: "Oscar is tax compliant."
His agent Peet van Zyl, speaking from New York, added: "I am not aware of any of that. As far as I know his taxes were up to date. I didn't see anything from the South African Revenue Service to suggest otherwise."
Pistorius, 26, has admitted shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his luxury home in Pretoria in February, but claims he mistook her for a burglar. He is due back in court next month.
The Paralympian declared in a court affidavit during his application to be freed on bail that he earned around $630,000 (£415,265) a year and owned three houses and a vacant plot in South Africa with a combined value of nearly $1m.
City Press reported that he owns another house in Johannesburg, which he bought for 9.8m rand (£677,856) this year but this was not declared as part of his assets in the affidavit. City Press did not say if that house was bought before or after the killing of Steenkamp at his $500,000-home in a gated community in Pretoria.
Much of Pistorius's income is believed to have come from sponsors Nike and eyewear company Oakley, which suspended their deals after he was charged with murder.
His family has denied previous media reports that he is facing financial ruin because of legal costs, saying in a statement in March that those bills are "under control".
"While the family doesn't deny that Oscar's legal expenses are massive and that he has sold off some of his investments, including his racehorses," the family said. "Oscar will evaluate the cost situation on a day-to-day basis and make decisions as required."
Prosecutors say Pistorius's court hearing on 4 June, the first since his bail proceedings, will probably take less than 10 minutes and the case will be postponed until a date in August when it is hoped police will have finished their investigation.
Last week Van Zyl confirmed that the runner, known as the Blade Runner, will not return to the track this year. "It was always going to be a case of whether Oscar feels mentally ready to return to training, which he doesn't," he said. "He would need at least 12 weeks to get ready for the top level and six weeks of competition.
"He's not mentally and physically ready at this time. It's better that he focuses on the court case. He didn't talk to us about competing at any time."
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