Justice served: family relieved as traffic officer's killer convicted
Shot dead in full uniform
Senior Superintendent Mariemuthoo Desmond Arumugam.
Image: File image
THE family of slain KwaDukuza traffic officer, Senior Superintendent Mariemuthoo Desmond Arumugam, expressed relief after Philakahle Hloniphani Dladla was found guilty of murder in the Durban High Court, today.
Arumugam, 50, of Tongaat, was employed at the KwaDukuza Municipality’s traffic department.
The father of three was shot while investigating a stationary taxi on the N2 near the Groutville off-ramp, on November 4 last year, in what turned out to be an armed robbery gone wrong.
Dladla, 26, was also found guilty on two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
According to the State prosecutor Rakesh Singh, Dladla, who was a passenger in a minibus taxi, had planned to rob the driver and the passengers of their cash and cellphones.
He said on the day of the incident, Dladla boarded a fully-loaded taxi at the KwaDukuza taxi rank and took a seat in the front passenger position.
The other complainants in the robbery with aggravating circumstances charges were the driver of the taxi and a passenger, who was seated in the second row.
Singh said Dladla instructed the driver to take the Groutville off-ramp.
“He then produced a firearm and robbed the driver of an amount of R1 000. He ordered the driver to bring the vehicle to a stop.
Dladla then robbed passengers at gunpoint.
The second complainant handed over R70 and a Samsung Galaxy A05 cellphone.
Singh said during the robbery, Arumugam who was dressed in full regulation uniform and driving a white Toyota Fortuner, arrived on the scene to investigate the stationery taxi.
He said Dladla turned his firearm on Arumugam and shot him dead.
Speaking to the POST following the judgment, Arumugam's elder brother, Buffy Arumugam, said justice had been served.
"We are pleased with the ruling even though it will not bring our brother back. Our family has been left devastated. We are now hoping for the maximum sentence to be handed down."