(Image Source: The Guardian ) BY ELISA LOPEZ AGUADO ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA In a big twist, the lead detective in the Oscar Pistorius case is facing attempted murder charges. Investigator Hilton Botha is no longer in charge of the investigation. The news broke Wednesday and prosecutors say they didn’t know about Botha’s record. (Video via The Guardian ) It comes from an incident in October 2011, when the detective and two other police officers, drunk, fired at a minibus. Botha is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder. (Video via Telegraph ) A police spokesman said the charges against the detective were initially dropped but they have been reinstated. As the BBC’s Peter Biles puts it “that statement is an extraordinary turn of events.” It certainly is. How this information suddenly appeared is a little unclear, but again, Botha has now been dropped from the investigation. And this is actually one of many issues with how police have handled the case, with Botha’s testimony in court being called “blundering” and confusing. NBC News reports that “under cross-examination at the bail hearing on Wednesday, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in Pistorius’ house.” “The chief investigator said that he found in the bedroom these vials of testosterone. However, when defense attorneys later cross-examined to the chief investigator they basically pointed out he didn’t even really remember the name of the drug that was on those files.” ( ESPN video) Lead defence counsel Barry Roux declared Botha’s evidence was of poor quality. Specifically, he said Botha misjudged the distance of witnesses from Pistorius’ house. Botha is also accused of walking through the crime scene without protective footwear , and he admits police left a 9 mm slug ( from the barrage that killed Steenkamp) in a toilet, and also lost track of illegal ammunition found in the house. Botha had been in the police force for almost 25 years.