Llandudno 'cop heist' bail hearing continues

Policemen on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances

Four police officials accused of being involved in a multimillion-rand heist at a mansion in Llandudno, Cape Town, appeared in the Wynberg magistrate’s court for the continuation of their bail application on Tuesday. 

The court heard that one of the police officers allegedly left a Louis Vuitton card pouch in their van.

Jacobus Groenewald, 44, Bradley Minnaar, 28, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, 33, and Bathandwa Soldati, 38, are facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances. Their fingerprints were allegedly found at the house in the upmarket suburb after the heist on September 14.

The accused testified, stating that it was not a robbery but they were actually working on a tip-off they had received. 

The officers told the court they were given information from two informants about two Nigerians who were in the country illegally and were wanted by Interpol for cyber crimes. According to the officers, the two men were tenants at a drug warehouse in Kyalami Gardens.

Prosecutor Lukhanyo Langeni questioned Soldati about a Malawian national that the informants told the accused about. He stated that person was the one who ran the warehouse and was supposed to give them access. However, Soldati remained silent.

Langeni then questioned Soldati about a jamming device that was found in Minnaar’s police vehicle. Soldati said it was not true. 

Langeni further told Soldati that an investigating officer would testify that the complainant said the accused came downstairs in the mansions with duffel bags filled with items. He stated the investigating officer would also testify that items including a jewellery box were found in Groenewald’s police vehicle which belonged to the complaint.

The court previously heard that three occupants were in the house after Groenewald shouted “South African Police, get down” as they entered. These people, two males and one female, were cable tied and were split into three groups with the accused and informants to search the house.

The court heard the testimony of the investigating officer Const Elrich Duister who said the female occupant asked why the accused were searching the premises. He said they told her that they would bring the items back which included jewellery, an iPad, a cellphone and clothes.

The complainant told Duister there were seven unknown police officers and that a short black civilian asked him how much money he had. He said he had no money and saw the accused come down the stairs with about five duffel bags. He said when they were untied he saw his jewellery and personal belongings had been taken.

The court heard that a PPA security company was alerted to an incident at the mansion, while Duister said police  received a call from the owner at the property and when they arrived they saw two police vans.

The security company said the spoke to Groenewald who told them his name was sergeant Beukes and was slightly out of breathe. They questioned why there were there and “Beukes” said they wanted to arrest a suspect who is wanted by Interpol. The PPA team questioned whether they were from Samora Machel police station but were told that they were just using the vehicle.

The court heard that after PPA left the scene and the officials got into their vehicles, the complainant ran out of the house and shouted, “Give me my phone”. Duister said when one of the accused handed his phone over, he filmed a short video of the officers, capturing the vehicle registration number.

The court heard that Hout Bay police tried to trace one of the vehicles which belonged to the Cape Town central station. It was discovered that the vehicle had been used by “operation restore”, which Groenewald stated previously he was part of.

Duister said they were tasked to trace and locate the vehicle and when they discovered the vehicle they saw Groenewald, who told them he had dropped a member at Cape Town police station and was on his way home.

The court heard that Groenewald’s vehicle was searched and a bulletproof bag with a green jewellery box was found, along with a clear plastic bag with cable ties which matched the ties used at the scene, and Louis Vuitton card pouch which had a Nigerian driver's licence and other cards in it.

Duister said when they found these items they knew that the vehicle’s number plates had been tampered with.

The case was postponed to November 28.

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