Documents stolen from the Johannesburg High Court in a recent robbery did not include dockets relating to the drunken-driving case of Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.
”The [NPA] would like to dispel media suggestions that a case against Mr Robert McBride, who is facing charges of driving under the influence of intoxicating substance, fraud and defeating the ends of justice, has been derailed,” spokesperson Tlali Tlali said in a statement following reports that documents relating to McBride’s case had been stolen.
”The case is part-heard and will resume at the Pretoria Regional Court on Monday April 21 2008. The break-in at the Johannesburg High Court does not have any impact on this case and documents stolen … do not include the McBride docket relating to the drunk-driving case.”
Armed robbers broke into the court on Sunday night and took documents relating to a R46-million First National Bank cash-heist case.
Dressed in police uniforms, the robbers gained access to the courthouse by telling security guards that a woman had been raped inside the building.
They escaped after a shootout with Johannesburg metro police.
Following that robbery, computer hard drives were found to have been stolen from the Jeppestown Magistrate’s Court when staff arrived for work on Tuesday. — Sapa