Johannesburg – Police are following up clues in connection with the weekend murder of a man in Bedfordview, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“Since Saturday, the police have received information from many members of the public, including from possible witnesses,” Brigadier Neville Malila said in a statement.

Bassam Boutrous Issa, 49, was shot dead in Bedfordview, east of Johannesburg, on Saturday.

He was waiting at a traffic light in his Audi Q7 when a white Ford Ranger with an ND number plate pulled up next to him. Its occupants opened fire at him.

“Mr Issa drove over the red light before it turned green to avoid being shot at. He also reversed in an attempt to evade the shots, but was fired at with [an] AK-47 and an R5 rifle. His bullet-riddled car came to a standstill on the curb on Smith Street,” Malila said.

More than 30 spent cartridges were found on the scene, he said.

Malila said there were allegations that the suspects used police-issued firearms, and put on blue lights when they fled the scene. This was being investigated.

A .38 revolver, 9mm rounds, a silencer, and four cellphones were found in Issa’s car.

According to reports on Saturday, Issa was an associate of Czech fugitive and businessman Radovan Krejcir.

However Krejcir denied this, and said he knew Issa only as a resident of Bedfordview.

– SAPA