Five men arrested in connection with a burglary at Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Soweto home are to appear in the Orlando Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, said Gauteng police.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Thembi Nkwashu said on Wednesday the five are suspected of having broken into the archbishop’s Orlando West home on Sunday. Among the items taken were Tutu’s Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King medal and appliances.
”The five men, aged between 21 and 39 years old, are to appear in the Orlando Magistrate’s Court. Four of the men are facing charges of housebreaking and theft, while the fifth suspect, who is 29 years old, is facing a stolen property charge,” said Nkwashu.
The men were arrested on Monday. Tutu was in Europe at the time of the break-in.
Police recovered the Nobel medal, Martin Luther King medal and a ”golden key” to the city of Sacramento, capital of the American state of California. Clothing, gold brooches, a wedding ring and electronic goods including a DVD player were also recovered.
Four of the men were arrested after they were found in possession of some of the stolen goods while sitting in a Nissan Sentra in Orlando East. The fifth man was arrested at the Dube hostel after he was found in possession of Tutu’s television set. — Sapa