There has been a dramatic development regarding the circumstances of Robert McBride's controversial 2006 car accident.

Eyewitness News reports that they are able to reveal that police are investigating an assassination attempt on the former Ekurhuleni metro police chief's life.

These details are contained in an police report (which Eyewitness News has in its possession) that shows the 2006 accident may have been more sinister than just a simple crash, and may have been an attempt to have him killed.

McBride is on trial on drunk driving and defeating the ends of justice charges in connection with the crash which happened near Centurion.

In the police report an officer investigating claims of corruption related to multi-million rand property deals admits there were several strange and unexplained issues around McBride's accident, leading him to believe it was an attempt to have the controversial public figure killed.

The McBride assassination dossier shows that his brakes appear to have been tampered with twice in the run up to his crash.

It contains a statement from the Ekurhuleni council's fleet manager at the time detailing how he inspected the car and discovered the brake problem.

The police file also contains two invoices for new brake pads. The receipts show the brake pads were changed in November 2006 and again several weeks later in December.

Second car at Centurian crash

Eyewitness News can also for the first time reveal the presence of another vehicle on the R511 at the time of McBride's accident.

According to an eyewitness, a yellow Mazda was seen travelling at high speed, forcing McBride's car to swerve and overturn as a result.

It is understood the attempt on his life follows his investigation into questionable land deals in Meyersdal, southeast of Johannesburg.

The police's Organised Crime Unit is investigating the car accident, even though it is supposedly a traffic matter.

McBride said he was co-operating with the police who are investigating the assassination attempt. He said hoped the truth would come out in the end.

The former police chief said that after he helped forensic auditors uncover the controversial Meyersdal deal he realised his life was in danger.

"There have been strange occurrences where I have had an unusually high amount of incidents involving brakes on cars that I drive; where brakes have failed more than what is ordinarily regarded as normal," he explained.

Read the some of the official documents

Read parts of a statement made by the police officer investigating the alleged attempts on McBride's life.

Read the statements of two people police spoke to about the murder plot claims.

See two receipts showing when McBride's brakes were fixed or changed in 2006.