Thee people have been arrested for the theft of jewellery worth about R7 million from a Gateway jeweller.
|||Durban - Three people have been arrested, and another two are being sought, for the theft of jewellery worth about R7 million from a Gateway jeweller.
The state planned to oppose bail on Monday for the three after a burglary at Cherry Design Jewellery on Tuesday evening, as diners sat at a restaurant just next door in the shopping centre.
The three, including a 34-year-old mother of four who had been an employee at the shop, appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Friday, hoping to be released on bail.
But prosecutor Patrick Magoda told magistrate V Naidoo that he would oppose bail on Monday because there was still evidence to be obtained and, if released on bail, the accused would tamper with the investigation.
“The State will have evidence in the form of (CCTV) footage and a statement made by accused one implicating accused two and three,” said Magoda. “If released these accused might try to influence accused one.”
He said the police had also expected to arrest two more suspects.
Lawyers for the alleged burglars had hoped to apply for bail on Friday, but this could not go on as the investigating officer had to leave court to chase a lead relating to the whereabouts of the other suspects.
“Also the State still needs to confirm whether any of the accused have any pending cases or previous convictions against them,” Magoda said.
Reading from the charge sheet, Magoda said it was alleged that accused one had tampered with the CCTV footage before she had “logged off” on the day of the break-in.
He said the State would allege she had done so because she had known that the others were coming to the shop. “The State alleges that accused one had given accused two the keys and access to the shop,” he said.
Accused one’s attorney, Rajendra Kimchand Nathalal, told the court that allegations his client had been part of a syndicate were merely that - “allegations” before court.
He said it would be unfair on the accused and her four children if she was denied bail for the State to complete its investigation.
“No items (allegedly stolen) were recovered from the accused when she was arrested,” he said.
Arguing for his client, accused two, attorney Anand Pillay said the State had no right to detain an accused to complete its investigation.
“The two outstanding suspects are not a sustainable reason to keep him in custody any longer than he has been. He has been in custody since Wednesday and has no previous convictions or pending cases,” Pillay said.
Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said on Sunday that no further arrests had been made.
The bail application was due to resume on Monday. - Daily News