Kimberley - Cash in excess of R30 million remains unaccounted for after being stolen from the offices of G4S Security earlier this year.
This was revealed as the bail application of eight people implicated in the incident in May got under way in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court earlier this week.
A jam-packed public gallery listened attentively on Monday afternoon when the investigating officer, Colonel Dick de Waal of the Hawks, suggested that the court not grant bail to the eight accused, stating that with tens of millions of rands yet to be recovered, the chances of any of the accused being able to disappear without a trace, should they be released, had been significantly increased.
During Monday’s proceedings, De Waal said that an amount of more than R36 million, a .38 revolver, access cards and a company cellphone had been stolen from the premises of the security company, allegedly with the assistance of a company employee, Jennifer Claasens.
Monday’s bail request was set to be a schedule 6 application, placing the onus on the applicants to prove why it was in the interest of justice that they should be released for the duration of the investigation and trial.
However, with Claassens implicated in the incident, but assaulted in the process, accusations of aggravated robbery became lesser charges of theft, making it the prosecution’s responsibility to justify why the applicants should not be released.
Other charges faced by the accused include money laundering and defeating the ends of justice.
While a ninth suspect is currently at large, the first eight applicants unanimously stated their intentions to plead not guilty on the charges against them.
Member of the Kimberley Tactical Response Team, Samuel Jantjies, a sergeant with 18 years experience in the SAPS, was the first to have his affidavit read to the court, expressing his intentions to plead not guilty and requesting bail in order to be able to support his wife and three children.
The 45-year-old said that he would be more than willing to answer to the allegations against him during the course of the trial, once he has had an opportunity to peruse the State’s evidence against him. However, he added that he was confident that the State did not have a strong case against him.
Jantjies added that he was taken into custody for further questioning and was told that the State was thinking of making him a State witness and that if he provided a full statement and prosecution was satisfied, the charges against him would be dropped.
According to his affidavit, he had subsequently been informed that this confession was inadmissible as it had allegedly been influenced by promises that he would not be prosecuted should he comply.
De Waal testified that this had not been the case, saying that while the applicant had enquired about turning State witness, he had been informed that this was a decision that needed to be taken by the public prosecutor and not the police.
The court also heard how Jantjies had supplied false information, saying that he was at his brother, co-accused and the third applicant, Denzel Jantjies’ home in Victoria West at the time of the incident.
“During search operations on various premises, we confiscated about R1.4 million which was allegedly handled by the first applicant while the third applicant assisted in handling some of the money,” said De Waal.
“He made a deposit for construction at his home to the amount of R192 500. R110 000 from that transaction was recovered in cash while R30 000 was found in his ceiling.
“At the premises of the third applicant, large amounts of cash were found on two separate occasions.
“R90 000 was hidden in the ceiling of the restaurant run by his wife, Paula.
“On the second occasion, nearly R1.3 million was found buried in the garden on the same premises.
“Information to date is that the first applicant was part of the initial planning meetings and on the day his role was to secure the area using his private vehicle and police radio to monitor if there were calls alerting authorities.”
The fourth applicant, Hendry Daniels, another member of the Kimberley TRT, also allegedly monitored the area and police communication.
“Daniels was also implicated in the confessions. He was in the area with a police radio. He attended planning meetings but did not enter G4S premises at the time of the incident. He was part of the money sharing at applicant one’s house. He was also supposed to dispose of the money bags, firearm, cellphones and access cards.
“His and his family’s premises in Strydenburg were searched without success.
“Prior to the incident, he was in financial debt and borrowed at least R120 000 from one friend and R15 000 from another. After the incident, his vehicle was damaged in an accident and he paid R20 000 cash for the repairs. He also bought another vehicle cash after the incident but I do not have the amount.”
Southridge’s JP Wolfaard is the fifth applicant after being implicated in the statements of his co-accused while also confessing before a magistrate, according to the IO.
“He was initially contacted by Claasens and attended several planning meetings. He supplied the vehicle that transported the stolen money and loaded it himself,” said De Waal.
“He transported money to the first applicant’s house and after sharing it, drove to his house where he received his own and applicant two’s share. At a later stage, he handed over about R500 000 to another accused who is still at large.
“We searched the farm Japie’s Rust (in the Postmasburg area), where he works several times, including with a currency trained dog.
“Allegations are that he buried R1.5 million somewhere but it could not be found.
“The bakkie involved was confiscated. He also bought a double cab and a Nissan Navara after the incident. Sometime in June, he and his family had a luxury holiday in Cape Town.”
Holpan transport company owner Charles Buys and his sons, Andries and Conrad, are the newest applicants to be added to the case following their arrest last week.
Having been implicated in the confessions, it is believed that the trio have spent roughly R750 000 on vehicles and furniture subsequent to the incident, while cash that could not be accounted for was also apparently found at the family home in Windsorton.
De Waal believes that Claasens is the mastermind behind the robbery and the group’s insider at G4S.
“She worked in the box room at the G4S depot and was responsible for receiving and dispensing all the cash. She approached the other accused and arranged planning meetings,” said De Waal.
“She indicated when would be a suitable time with maximum money available. She explained how the system works and that the power must trip to ensure that security cameras aren’t working. She gave cellphones to all the accused which they utilised for this incident in order not to be traced.
“During the incident she was slightly assaulted by the fifth applicant who also tied her hands and feet.
“During a search on June 20, she handed over R20 000, claiming that her sister gave it to her, which her sister has denied.
“She opened the gates for the alleged robbers after phoning to tell them to come. She was the only person on the premises at the time of the incident.”
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