• Advocate Barry Roux cross-examined the police officer investigating a deadly church attack.
• Sergeant George Maditse said his investigation could result in even more charges against the accused.
• Maditse denies being biased against the 42 accused linked to the attack.

A police detective investigating the International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC) attack has denied he is biased against the 42 accused.

Forty-two people have brought their bail application in the Westonaria Magistrate's Court.

Sergeant George Maditse, the investigating officer, said his investigation could result in even more charges against the accused.

Advocate Barry Roux, who represents 23 of the accused, put it to Maditse that he was biased against his clients.

Maditse maintained that the accused must not be granted bail because then they wouldn't stand trial.

"They must sit in jail until the matter goes to trial. The accused were not supposed to be at the IPHC. What was their business going to the IPHC?" asked Maditse.

"Those who were at the church [during the attack] are still traumatised. They don't even trust us when we go to the church, that we are real cops. I couldn't interview the accused because their lawyers said they must not speak to us," added Maditse.

Roux accused Maditse of being biased and not having evidence to prove the five deceased were shot by the accused, and who among the deceased were carrying firearms.

Roux added that, from the recovered firearms, Maditse could not specifically prove which firearms were in possession of which accused.

"You are biased and deny some of the questions that I have asked you," said Roux.

Roux earlier said the five deceased were part of the group of the 42 accused. They claimed they were responding to a call that the IPHC headquarters were under attack.

Maditse said the accused did not belong to the IPHC, but were members of the church splinter group, known as the International Pentecost Church Choir.

"I don't know who killed them. There is no evidence now that who specifically killed them. My belief is that it was chaotic because there were many people involved, who came in many cars.

"I don't know how many people were involved. My version is they (deceased) could have been shot as they were running away from the church, maybe by their own people," Maditse said.

The hearing continues on Wednesday.