Llandudno jewellery theft case: Accused cop loses legal representation
One of the four officers accused of stealing R20 million worth of jewellery has lost his legal representation.
The policemen are accused of stealing R20m worth of jewellery from a house in Llandudno, Cape Town. Picture: Ntuthuzelo Nene/ EWN.
CAPE TOWN - One of the four officers accused of stealing R20 million worth of jewellery has lost his legal representation.
Jacobus Groenewald, Bradley Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, and Bathandwa Soldati appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Groenewald is the only one still behind bars, after the court denied him bail earlier this year, citing potential interference with evidence and witnesses.
He was also allegedly caught with 200 mandrax tablets in prison while fighting to be released on bail.
Groenewald was asked why his lawyer wasn’t in court on Thursday.
He told the magistrate that he had lost contact with him, and would appoint a new lawyer to represent him when he appears again in June.
Magistrate Sibongiseni Mtwana: "Mr Groenewald where is your legal representative?"
Groenewald: "I didn’t have contact with him."
Magistrate: "On the last occasion, he said that he and the other legal representative did mention that they were only dealing with the bail. So what do you intend to do? There is a law firm that kept on coming to court to ask about your documentation. Do you know anything about them."
Groenewald: "Yes."