As the bail application for the four cops accused in the R20 million jewellery heist in Llandudno kicked off on Thursday, accused number one said he blamed himself for his colleagues being behind bars.
Sergeant Johannes Groenewald told the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court how constables Bradley Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya and Bathandwa Soldati were roped into the raid on 14 September around 1:30am.
They all face a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Groenewald, who has been on the force for 17 years, took the stand and told the court that he had acted on information from an informant about perly and his superior gave him the go-ahead for a raid.
His informants later changed their story and told the officers that they had information that two Nigerian criminals were at the house - one was sought by Interpol for cyber crimes and the other for allegedly renting a warehouse in Killarney Gardens where he kept drugs.
Groenewald said he decided to go ahead with the raid to look for proof of their residency in SA, and any municipal documents that could link them to the warehouse.
“The informants said the Nigerians have a lot of money on bitcoin and they had connections to gangs and law enforcement.”
He said he gained access into the yard and one of the occupants saw him and ran but they managed to catch three “suspects”.
“As we got to the main bedroom, there were multiple Cartier and Rolex boxes. All of them empty.”
He also said he was the only one armed, and none of them wore gloves as they were not there to rob the place.
“I’m the senior officer and they are here for the decisions that I made that night, all three are good policemen.”