Three of the four cops accused of a multi-million rand heist have been released on bail following their applications at the Wynberg Magistrates Court this week.
Meanwhile, the first accused, Jacobus Groenewald was caught with 200 mandrax tablets at Pollsmoor Correctional Facility and following a court appearance in connection with the drug possession charge, was granted bail of R1 000.
Bradley Minnaar, 28, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, 33 and Bathanwa Soldati, 38 were released on bail this week while Groenewald, 44, would remain behind bars as his application for the aggravated robbery charges failed.
During their bail arguments hearing last week the accused alleged the charges against them were weak and being in custody for more than 94 days and 21 court appearances for bail application had prejudiced them.
The cops face charges of aggravated theft and robbery and obstructing the course of justice for allegedly having robbed jewellery and personal items to the value of R20million after they conducted a raid at the Sunset Avenue home where the officers allegedly threatened the occupants of the home with a fake gun.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said: “Groenewald was not granted bail following his arrest in Pollsmoor Prison for possession of drugs. He was allegedly caught with 200 mandrax tablets.”
The officers had allegedly threatened a would-be suspect with a fake gun in a raid after acting on an alleged tip-off received when they were released from duty before their shift was supposed to end on 13 September last year.
The robbery incident occurred in the early hours of 14 September.
The accused, as part of their heads of argument in their bail applications, submitted that the jewellery they are accused of stealing and the proof of ownership via serial numbers were not presented to the court.
All of the accused’s counsel, during bail proceedings, contested the schedule type and submitted that the men be charged according to schedule 5 as Groenewald was allegedly the only armed officer and had not used or drawn his service pistol from the holster during the alleged robbery.
The defence said they did not dispute that there was a firearm during the incident, however, it “was not used or drawn”.
It was Groenewald’s version to the court that he had conducted the raid with his colleagues after he was tipped off on information regarding two suspects sought for cyber crimes and who were “owners of a large warehouse in Killarney Gardens where narcotics are stored”.
State prosecutor Lukhanyo Langeni during cross examination poked holes in the versions of the accused during which Groenewald admitted he had swapped the number plates of his police vehicle and explained that he had done so by sticking a piece of a number plate, which he had taken from his home, to the front and back of the police vehicle with double-sided tape.
The court also heard that a jamming device was found in Minnaar’s vehicle and it is the State’s version that it was used to affect the GPS system of the vehicle.