Police officer Enoch Motsepe is not a flight risk, the Germiston Regional Court heard on Monday.
The Pretoria constable has applied for bail on kidnapping and extortion charges.
“I am the only accused in this matter and I intend to plead not guilty to all charges,” his lawyer Tsepiso Matubatuba read from his affidavit in support of his bail application.
“I am not a flight risk. I have too much to risk if I abscond my trial. I will not interfere with the witnesses or the evidence.”
Dressed in a blue T-shirt and blue jeans, he entered the dock and looked at the public gallery, which was almost empty save for journalists.
Motsepe sat down and looked straight ahead during proceedings.
The court heard that Motsepe had a child who was dependent on him. He asked the court to consider the child's rights. Motsepe indicated that he could afford R2000 bail.
He said the reason he was pointed out during an identity parade on November 8 was because two of the four witnesses saw him at the police cells after he was arrested and they were there to open the case.
The 32-year-old gave the address of a flat he was renting in Sunnyside, Pretoria, and that of his aunt.
However, prosecutor Thabo Motlhamme indicated there was a third address and that the investigating officer would be called to testify.
The matter was briefly adjourned three times on Monday morning. The first adjournment was because the investigating officer was not present, the second was due to a power failure, and the third was because the court equipment froze after the power outage.
Magistrate Pieter du Plessis indicated he had no problem proceeding without electricity, but the power was restored minutes later.
Motsepe is a detective from Silverton, Pretoria, and made a brief court appearance on October 30, but the matter was postponed for further investigation.
Police are looking for five other people in connection with the kidnapping of a Bedfordview, Johannesburg, resident, on Monday, October 28. According to the State, four men entered the victim's home claiming they were police officers.
They took jewellery worth about R150 000, a BMW, and a cellphone. They kidnapped the man and demanded a R100 000 ransom from his family.
Motsepe was arrested after allegedly collecting the ransom at a Caltex petrol station on the N1 highway in Midrand.
Police accidentally shot and wounded hip hop singer Khuli Chana when he allegedly failed to stop at a roadblock they had set up at the petrol station's exit in an attempt to catch the kidnappers.
Sapa