Cape Town - The State has persistently scrutinised and challenged the testimonies provided by the four police officers implicated in the R20 million Llandudno jewellery heist.
Officers Jacobus Adriaan Groenewald, Bradley Dimitri Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya and Bathandwa Soldati appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the continuation of their bail application.
They were busted after the September 14 raid in Llandudno.
State prosecutor Lukhanyo Langeni cross examined Mafanya, who has been in the police for 10 years.
“Were you aware of anything being taken out of the house on the day of the raid?”
After Mafanya said no, Langeni reminded the officer that his co-accused Groenewald had admitted to taking an identity card and holder from the house.
Langeni said the four officers were captured on CCTV driving from Wynberg with a white Hyundai following them until they stopped at McDonald’s in Green Point before two occupants entered the police vans and proceeded to the Llandudno house.
The police officers had initially told the court that they raided the house after receiving information from two informants about the possibility of a drug and abalone syndicate bust.
“The investigating officer will testify that there were two police vans, one was driven by Groenewald and the other Minnaar and the vehicles were followed by a white Hyundai from Wynberg to Green Point when they arrived at McDonald's, the occupants of that car went into the police vans,” Langeni explained.
“The investigating officer searched for the car and we can confirm that it is now in possession of the police and in the car a piece of jewellery was found and the complainant confirmed it belonged to them.”
Mafanya told the court he had no idea they were being followed by the informants.
The prosecutor added that according to the complainant, two African males ran into the house with firearms.
“After going into the premises they were followed by officers; he was tied-up and the officers went upstairs.
“Officers came down with duffel bags. Witnesses saw officers take items and put them in bags. They took pictures and videos of the vans.”
Mafanya exclaimed: “Are you done? That is your version!”
The bail applicant had previously testified that when they arrived at the house there was a group and when they entered the house some people ran away and they later learned that the two suspects they were looking for had fled.
Langeni continued that the investigating officer would testify that an empty jewellery box was found in Groenewald’s car and it was identified that as belonging to the complainant.
“A jamming device was found in Constable Minnaar’s vehicle and the State believes it was used to affect the GPS system of the vehicle,” the prosecutor concluded.
Mafanya said he has never seen a jamming device before.
He told the court they spent about 30- 45 minutes inside the house they raided and that they did not take anything and no one had a firearm out.
Soldati’s lawyer Leonard Doms asked Mafanya if the suspects who ran away went to their neighbours and alerted them of the house robbery.
While the applicants were in the house, a private security vehicle stopped outside the house and Groenewald went to talk to the officers.
“When the security officers were there, did the house occupants who were tied-up, would they have been able to scream or shout that they were being robbed as victims of a robbery?
“The one female who was not tied-up; did she run towards the security officers since they were fearful of their lives?
“Did they tell the security about the robbery?
“When you left the area, did you speed away from the house?”
Mafanya replied that the house’s occupants did not call out to the security guards for help.
“When we were done inside the house we went into our vehicles and went to look for those who ran out of the house and went back to stop in front of the house and that is when the two men we tied-up took pictures and videos of our vans.”
The case was postponed to November 22 when Soldati will take the stand and give his version of events.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za