Image via Tiwtter
Suspects accused of stealing warfare rifles from SANDF are expected back in court on Friday 3 January.
Image via Tiwtter
Twelve suspects facing charges linked to their involvement in the theft of military weapons at an army base in Pretoria, are due back in court on Friday 3 January.
According to EWN, the suspects were denied bail at their first court appearance on 27 December 2019. They appeared in the dock at the Waterkloof military base on charges of theft, negligent loss of weapons and housebreaking.
The SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini explained why they were denied bail: “One of the major reasons was that the investigation is at its infancy and these members are from one unit, so it might be a problem for the investigating officer if they’re all outside.”
It is believed that 19 R4 semi-automatic assault rifles were stolen at the Engineering Formation of SANDF’s Lyttelton Tek Base in Pretoria on Monday 23 December 2019.
It was reported that Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula zeroed in on 11 suspects who were taken in for questioning. However, according to a recent report from eNCA, a 12th suspect has now been arrested.
Dlamini also said that all the military bases of the SANDF are guarded by their own members, hence why the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Police Minister Bheki Cele think the robbery was an inside job.
The suspects were due to appear in the military court in Thaba Tshwane on Friday 27 December 2019 for their bail hearing.
The department, however, is yet to confirm the details surrounding the exact items stolen at the Lyttelton Tek Base.
Mapisa-Nqakula condemned the act, saying it had been committed by “unpatriotic and self-serving thugs”.
The suspects were subjected to questioning on Tuesday 24 December 2019 and a high-level investigation is underway. The minister is also engaging SANDF chief General Solly Shoke.
Shoke has been ordered to rescind leave for relevant military command members and other structures to aid the authorities as they probe the weapons’ theft.
The SANDF is involved in a number of internal operations, including: