/ 15 April 2009

‘Drug cop’ case postponed

The case against four top cops implicated in a drug scandal was postponed in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Magistrate Delise Smit postponed the case to April 29 for judgement to be handed down in their bail application.

State advocate Michelle Bayat argued that the release of the West Rand policemen would hamper the safety of informants and witnesses in the case.

”If released on bail, the lives of three informants would be in jeopardy.

”There have been previous threats against them,” Bayat said.

The officers — Senior Superintendent Dumisane Jwara, 45, Captain Landro Mokgosani, 40, Captain Victor Jwili, 38, and Captain Sakhepi Caiphus Shange, 43 — were arrested on March 23 following a months-long investigation.

They are accused of selling drugs seized by police back to drug syndicates. Their charges range from fraud to theft, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice.

Nardus Grove, Jwara’s advocate, said if the state felt the lives of the witnesses would be in jeopardy, they should be enrolled in a witness protection programme.

Bayat argued that since the four had already established connections due to their line of work, they would also interfere with the witness protection programme.

”… The accused would interfere with the witnesses through crime syndicates.”

She said as the accused owned property, they also had the financial means to skip the country.

Earlier, the accused’s collective affidavits — which were read out to the court by Grove and advocates Sog van Eck and Jacques van Heerden — said that standards were low at the Johannesburg high-risk facility where the four were being detained.

”They sleep on the floor in one cell, there is no privacy, the toilet is in the cell, there is no place to exercise and they don’t get to see their wives … these are family men, your worship,” Grove told the court.

He said they were also not properly nourished.

”They get four slices of bread a day, which is often mouldy … and this morning for breakfast, were forced to eat porridge mixed with chicken necks and beans … Captain Caiphus is a vegetarian, so he often does not eat.”

Bayat responded that the accused should not expect to be put up in a five-star hotel.

”They will be treated just as any other prisoner,” she said.

The four would remain in custody at the high-risk facility until their next appearance. — Sapa