Suspects not linked to burglary
ADAMANT: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SAYS ARRESTED MEN NOT INVOLVED IN CHIEF JUSTICE BREAK-IN
Phahlane confirms search of Mamelodi homes as investigations continue.
There is apparently no definitive link between the three suspects arrested in connection with the break-in at the offices of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Acting police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane said during the search of identified premises in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, three men were arrested in connection with the break-in at the offices of the chief justice to enable further investigation into the matter.
However, senior public prosecutor Anemarie Bendeman said the suspects, two of whom appeared in court yesterday morning on charges of possession of two unlicensed firearms and fake IDs, were not linked to the breakin. The case against the third suspect was struck off the roll.
“There is no link, no link at all. The case of these three suspects is not related to the break-in at the offices of the chief justice,” stressed Bendeman.
Phahlane said the suspects face charges relating to other crimes they were positively linked to pending further investigation on the chief justice break-in.
He said a multi-disciplinary team led by the deputy provincial commissioner of crime detection in Gauteng, Major-General Mary Motsepe, has been hard at work and their efforts culminated in the arrest of three men in Mamelodi over the past few days.
Phahlane said they did not have information about whether the break-in was an inside job.
“Not one of the three suspects are employees of the chief justice,” Phahlane said.
He said the team received information from an informer about suspects that were involved in the break-in and they were provided with five addresses in Mamelodi.
“The members went to verify addresses where the stolen computers were alleged to have been kept and, according to the informant, the suspects were looking for buyers for the computers.
“During the searches at three of these addresses, they did not find one of the would-be suspects,” Phahlane said.
At another address they found one of the would-be suspects by the name of Potlako Leola.
He allegedly admitted he was part of the group of suspects and he said the stolen computers were with a man named Nkosinathi Msimango.
Msimango was not found during the search of his home but the team recovered two firearms, two-way radios, two racing bicycles and a lot of IDs belonging to different people.
The suspect’s brothers, Given and Joshua Msimango, were arrested. They gave the police Nkosinathi’s cellphone number which the team is busy trying to track. Joshua took the police to another address where another firearm was found.
Police also confiscated a vehicle which was possibly used as a getaway car during the crime. Phahlane said they are expecting to make further arrests.
Meanwhile, police said CCTV footage at the offices of the chief justice was the subject of further investigation.
Phahlane said the police had sanctioned a security assessment at the offices of the chief justice.
The break-in took place on March 18, a day after Mogoeng hauled Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini over the coals over the failure to appoint a new distributor for the SA Social Security Agency’s monthly grants. –