Oscar Pistorius faces new gun charges
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E-mail Xinhua, November 20, 2013
Two additional charges will be brought against murder-accused South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius, local prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
"Mr Pistorius was made aware of the new challenge today. I am not prepared to comment on the nature of the charges," said Nathi Mncube, spokesman of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The new charges will be related to Pistorius' violation of the Firearms Control Act, according to Mncube.
"The two counts that have been added relate to contravention of some sections of the Firearms Control Act," said Mncube.
The first charge reportedly was related to Pistorius firing his gun out of the sunroof of a friend's car while driving home from a holiday, and the second related to Pistorius accidentally firing his friend's gun in a Johannesburg restaurant.
Pistorius was accused of killing his girl friend Reeva Stamkemp at his Pretoria home on the Valentine's Day of Feb. 14 this year.
Pistorius said he shot Steemkamp, mistaking her for a burglar. But police do not support his accounts and argue a case of premeditated murder.
The trial date of Pistorius has been set for early March next year.
The athlete is currently out on 1-million-rand (about 100,000-US-dollar) bail.
Pistorius is known as the Blade Runner because of his carbon fibre prosthetic blades. He was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics. He reached the 400m semifinals at the London 2012 Games.
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