Bizarre: Lead Police Investigator in Oscar Pistorius Murder Case of Girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp is Facing Attempted Murder Charges of his Own

The murder case of Olympic track star Oscar Pistorius just got a little more bizarre. Pistorius has been charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. However, we now have learned that the lead investigator, Hilton Botha, several other police officers are facing attempted murder charges of their own. The officers were allegedly drunk at the time, were arrested on seven counts of attempted murder in 2009. The charges against the officers had been provisionally withdrawn, but the Director of Public Prosecution reinstated them Wednesday and plans to move ahead on the charges later this year. Hmm, the timing of this is rather curious indeed. Four years after the fact and following the high profile murder case of Pistorius which Botha was the lead investigator, this comes out? Interesting indeed.

As Oscar Pistorius returned to court Thursday to seek bail, the sensational case took a new turn when police said the lead investigator is facing seven counts of attempted murder stemming from an incident four years ago.

That investigator, Hilton Botha, and several other police officers apparently fired at a minibus they were chasing in late 2009, spokesman Neville Malila told CNN affiliate eNCA.

The officers were allegedly drunk at the time, the spokesman said.

They were arrested on seven counts of attempted murder — one for each occupant in the minibus, the spokesman said. They were also charged with using firearms under the influence of alcohol, and all of them appeared in court.

The charges were provisionally withdrawn, but the Director of Public Prosecution reinstated them Wednesday and plans to move ahead on the charges later this year, the spokesman said.

In court Thursday, the prosecutors said neither the state, nor Botha, was aware that he might face attempted murder charges, thinking the case had been dropped.