EMPD officers get R5,000 bail in R14.9m precious stones theft case

Two Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested for their alleged involvement in the theft of R14.9m worth of precious stones have been granted bail of R5,000 each.

Adrian Norman Mackenzie and Keisha Leigh Stols, who are charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances and fraud, appeared for their bail application in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Thursday.

The state withdrew charges against Etienne van der Walt after he made representations to the director of public prosecutions, which were successful.

The duo allegedly participated in the robbery of precious stones valued at about R15m in Johannesburg in February 2023, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said.

Their case was postponed to August 28 for further investigation.

The Madlanga commission of inquiry has heard how metro police officers implicated in the theft tried to quash the case, including by infiltrating the NPA.

Witness K, a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department officer whose identity has been withheld for safety reasons, testified she was part of the scheme in which police officers colluded to steal the precious stones under the guise of a lawful seizure operation.

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