Cape Town - A former Vereeniging colonel has found himself in the dock of the Bellville Magistrate’s Court facing multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, and for stealing weapons, which he allegedly sold to fuel gang wars in the Western Cape.
Christiaan Lodewyk Prinsloo, who was in control of the armoury, made his first appearance in a Cape Town court on Wednesday, five months after he appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on similar charges.
Prinsloo, 55, stared straight ahead with his thumbs in his trouser pockets, as charges against him were read out.
The State will argue that Prinsloo had abused his position of authority and police supply chain resources to steal weapons from its storage facilities.
He is also accused of shooting dead three people and attempting to kill 12 others.
On Wednesday State prosecutor Shareen Riley told the court that Prinsloo had been arrested on January 16, but released on R5 000 bail.
Soon after his arrest, Prinsloo had resigned as a policeman.
Prinsloo was re-arrested on July 6 and transferred to Cape Town to face 28 charges, including murder, attempted murder, theft, corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
The two matters have been “centralised” and Prinsloo is waiting for a court date to be set when the matter will be heard in the Western Cape High Court.
The offences relate to various incidents in Silverton, Germiston, Wynberg and Pretoria.
According to a provisional charge sheet, the State will argue that Prinsloo and others “known or unknown to the State” had formed a criminal group and had acted in common purpose continuously to commit the offences.
The group’s function was to “steal firearms and ammunition destined for destruction” and supplying the weapons to criminals – “primarily members of gangs on the Cape Flats” – where there was a continued demand “for illicitly obtained firearms and ammunition to further the gang wars that raged in the Western Cape from 2007 onwards”.
The State alleges Prinsloo had “access” and used the police’s “specialised resources of the supply chain management” to facilitate the offences and deliver the weaponry.
The State alleges that on December 29, 2013 Prinsloo shot and killed Gregory Isaacs in Belhar. He is also accused of murdering Damien Juries of Delft on May 12, 2014 and Sipho Dyani of Delft on April 22, 2013. He faces 12 counts of attempted murder.
During his bail application yesterday, Prinsloo’s lawyer, Grant Smith, read out an affidavit about his client’s personal circumstances and in which Prinsloo promised to adhere to all conditions if granted bail.
The court heard that Prinsloo was married with two children, aged 27 and 25. The youngest was still “studying”. Since his resignation and arrest, his wife
has had to seek employment and was currently working at a pharmacy.
He had one previous conviction for an unrelated driving offence in 1981 and had no outstanding warrants of arrest.
He offered to hand over his passport to police.
He said he suffered from diabetes and had blacked out twice in recent months –breaking his ribs on one occasion.
He is on chronic medication.
Prinsloo has not yet pleaded to any of the charges and would not divulge details regarding the circumstances or merits of the case in his affidavit.
However, Smith said “the accused would be willing to continue co-operating with the State”.
Smith said Prinsloo would not have any problems travelling to Cape Town to attend court cases.
The State was not opposed to bail, saying Prinsloo was ill and also not considered a flight risk.
He had one previous conviction 20 years ago and it was unlikely he would interfere with witnesses.
Magistrate Cyril Krautz granted Prinsloo bail of R20 000. Prinsloo is expected back in court in September.
* Later this month, medical doctor Clinton King, from Durbanville, is expected back in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court where he faces charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca) for allegedly being in possession of an arsenal of illegal firearms which, the State alleges, he sold to members of the Hard Livings Gang.
Cape Argus