Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi and his co-accused have spent the weekend in police custody following their high-profile arrest by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. The dual apprehension marks the latest development in an extensive criminal probe into the alleged theft of high-grade precious stones and raw minerals valued at nearly R15 million.
Investigators executed targeted operational warrants late last week, apprehending Mkhwanazi at a residential garage in Kensington, while his co-accused, a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department official identified in inquiry proceedings as Witness K, was taken into custody in Alberton. State authorities allege that the duo orchestrated a February 2023 raid on a residential flat in Killarney, seizing high-value sugilite and manganese under the guise of an official police operation without registering the confiscated items into official exhibit logs.
The enforcement operation follows explosive testimonies delivered before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where Witness K outlined how the heist was planned and executed under Mkhwanazi's direction. Both suspects were remanded in custody over the weekend ahead of their joint appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court to face formal charges of theft, fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice.
0 Comments