Police top brass say no sensitive information or possible evidence was taken during the armed robbery of a former investigator linked to the murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa.
The police sergeant reported he was in his official vehicle when he was accosted soon after midnight on Thursday, and forced to stop in Lombardy East in Johannesburg, said national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.
The suspects are alleged to have attempted to force him into the boot of their vehicle but he fought back and escaped.
"A number of items were taken during the armed robbery, including a state-issued firearm with ammunition, a police reflector jacket, and a laptop bag containing a laptop, USB drives and photocopies of documentation related to the Senzo Meyiwa case," said Mathe.
National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola has appointed a senior team led by Gauteng commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni to investigate the case and motive for the attack.
Masemola said no important information related to the trial of five men for the alleged contract murder of Meyiwa in 2014 was taken by the suspects.
"I would like to assure the country and the Meyiwa family that this unfortunate incident will not in any way affect the ongoing murder trial.
"Only the copies of the occurrence book and cell registers were taken. The documents were already presented before court when the member testified and was cross-examined in court," Masemola said.
"The original docket and copies thereof and exhibits linked to this case are safe. As the matter is on trial, the copies of the docket were made available and disclosed to the defence team as early as 2022, as required by law.
"A high-level team is investigating whether the attack is linked to the ongoing murder trial in court and a multidisciplinary team led by crime intelligence officers are searching for the suspects."
TimesLIVE
Senzo Meyiwa link to cop robbed of service pistol and case files on laptop
Image: 123RF/zeferli
Police top brass say no sensitive information or possible evidence was taken during the armed robbery of a former investigator linked to the murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa.
The police sergeant reported he was in his official vehicle when he was accosted soon after midnight on Thursday, and forced to stop in Lombardy East in Johannesburg, said national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.
The suspects are alleged to have attempted to force him into the boot of their vehicle but he fought back and escaped.
"A number of items were taken during the armed robbery, including a state-issued firearm with ammunition, a police reflector jacket, and a laptop bag containing a laptop, USB drives and photocopies of documentation related to the Senzo Meyiwa case," said Mathe.
National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola has appointed a senior team led by Gauteng commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni to investigate the case and motive for the attack.
Masemola said no important information related to the trial of five men for the alleged contract murder of Meyiwa in 2014 was taken by the suspects.
"I would like to assure the country and the Meyiwa family that this unfortunate incident will not in any way affect the ongoing murder trial.
"Only the copies of the occurrence book and cell registers were taken. The documents were already presented before court when the member testified and was cross-examined in court," Masemola said.
"The original docket and copies thereof and exhibits linked to this case are safe. As the matter is on trial, the copies of the docket were made available and disclosed to the defence team as early as 2022, as required by law.
"A high-level team is investigating whether the attack is linked to the ongoing murder trial in court and a multidisciplinary team led by crime intelligence officers are searching for the suspects."
TimesLIVE
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