“I panicked,” robbery-accused cop, Jacobus Groenewald, told the court when he was probed about having hidden a Louis Vuitton identity card holder which was found in the grille of the bakkie he was driving.
Groenewald and co-accused Bradley Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, and Bathandwa Soldati appeared at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Friday as cross-examination in bail proceedings continued.
The four allegedly took items to the value of R28 million during a robbery at the premises of a foreign national in Sunset Avenue, Llandudno, on September 14 at about 1.35am.
State prosecutor Lukhanyo Langeni asked Groenewald about the “only item” which he admitted he had taken from the house on the night.
Groenewald said he had taken the card holder which had “an identity card or driver’s licence” in it and it was his intention to show it to his superior when he arrived at work the next day to ascertain the identity of the person and whether they could be linked to the “warehouse in Killarney Gardens where narcotics was stored”.
The card holder was described as a branded Louis Vuitton item which Groenewald said he did not know had value as he “had never seen a Louis Vuitton item before” and the card holder “just had a ‘L’ and ‘V’ on”.
The card holder, which Groenewald said was in his work bag, was found when police officers searched Groenewald’s police bakkie after he arrived for duty the day after the incident.
Langeni said the investigating officer will testify that the card holder was found in the grille of the bakkie, to which Groenewald confirmed “that’s where it was yes”.
Asked if he put it there, Groenewald said “yes”.
“I had it in my hand, it dropped and I can tell you why as well because I know that’s your next question. I did drop it down there.
“I’m taking the court into my confidence here, I’m not going to try and hide anything. I panicked,” Groenewald told the court. It was also during this search that police found an empty jewellery box in the vehicle.
Langeni then submitted this was the second time that Groenewald and Soldati used the word “panicked”.
Langeni said in Soldati’s statement after his arrest, Soldati said “he might have panicked”.
The court also heard that the GPS tracking systems of both Groenewald and Minnaar’s vehicles may have been tampered with as they were not functioning during the time of the alleged robbery incident.
Groenewald said he had “no idea” where the tracking system was located and did not know if it was working.
The matter was postponed to November 4 for further bail proceedings.
Cape Times