Seven men, including four members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), have appeared before the Tonga Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga after they were arrested in connection with the August 11 cash-in-transit robbery where R8,000 in coins were stolen from a Fidelity truck.
The case against the seven accused men was postponed to Wednesday, after they appeared in court on Monday.
The four police officers were arrested after police followed up on information regarding a SAPS Flying Squad vehicle that was transporting illegal firearms on August 17, at Malelane in Mpumalanga.
After their arrest, the four police officers joined the list of three suspects who had already been arrested for the same crime.
Spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said the four additional suspects are members of the SAPS highway patrol police sergeants, listed as Collen Suprian Nonyane, 44, Sunday Peace Mashego, 39, Sibusiso Musa Vilakazi, 38, and Bhekinkosi Stanley Godi, 39.
“The four accused were linked to a cash-in-transit robbery which took place in Malelane on August 11. During their arrest for possession of illegal firearms, one of the firearms was found to have been stolen from Malelane during the cash-in-transit robbery,” said Sekgotodi.
The four police sergeants have joined co-accused taxi driver Mosa Bhekifa Ngwenyama, 30, a 24-year-old Malawian national, Ali Obi Ebrahim who is a spaza shop cashier, and 44-year-old Mfanasibili Lawrence Lubisi. All seven accused men appeared in court on Monday.
The Hawks in Mpumalanga said Lubisi works as a messenger for the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and is the homeowner at the premises where police seized several items, including two stolen vehicles, a Ford Ranger Wildtrak and a Mercedes-Benz ML350.
Last week, the Hawks in Mpumalanga said they have launched a manhunt to find an additional suspect linked to the August 11 cash-in-transit.
Sekgotodi said 29-year-old Zola Martin Mnisi, of Swalala Trust in Mpumalanga is allegedly linked to the heist.
“The suspect was linked to a cash-in-transit robbery which happened in Malelane on August 11,” said Sekgotodi.
On the day, Sekgotodi said an armoured Fidelity vehicle was travelling from Malelane towards Tonga when it came under attack from armed assailants.
“Approximately 15 kilometres from the N4, the armoured vehicle was rammed by a C-Class Mercedes-Benz. The armoured vehicle lost control and overturned. It was then bombed, and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen,” she said.
The money was destined for a business operating in Tonga. After the incident, the Hawks said the money stolen from the crime scene was R8,000 in coins.
“During the investigation, Mnisi was allegedly linked to the incident. The report was presented before the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court and a warrant for his arrest was authorised,” said Sekgotodi.
IOL