Officers Jacobus Adriaan Groenewald, Bradley Dimitri Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, and Bathandwa Soldati appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for the continuation of their bail application. Picture: Mandilakhe Tshwete
FOUR cops on trial for robbery and theft in larney Llandudno yesterday said the State’s case against them is weak in their bail hearing.
In arguing for their release on bail, the four accused police officers told Wynberg Magistrates Court that the State did not have enough evidence to prove they stole jewellery and personal items to the value of R20 million.
Jacobus Groenewald, 44, alongside his three co-accused, Bradley Minnaar, 28, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, 33 and Bathanwa Soldati, 38, were arrested on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft.
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.
According to the cops, they were acting on information about two suspects linked to cybercrimes when they carried out the alleged bust.
During the bail hearing, the court heard how Groenewald, a senior-ranking officer, admitted that he had changed the licence plates of the SAPS vehicle he had driven to a Llandudno home to allegedly carry out the raid.
His explained that he did it so as not to become a “target” after the raid.
Also during bail proceedings, the court 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.