Johannesburg - The Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court has postponed the bail hearing against two of the 21 suspected illegal miners who were arrested in Stilfontein on 10 October 2022.
The case, which resumed briefly at the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court, was remanded to 3 November 2022 for a further bail hearing. The state said it intends to oppose bail when the trial resumes on Thursday.
One of the accused was under cross-examination by his attorney when the case was adjourned, owing to the prison where they are detained closing at 4pm.
According to the NPA regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame, three of the accused handed their passports and address statements to the investigating officer for verification in a bid to also apply for bail. Five of the suspects were confirmed to be South African citizens, while 16 were verified to be illegal in the country.
All twenty suspects have sourced the services of one private attorney, while the remaining accused sourced his own attorney, who was conducting cross-examination to secure bail for him.
On 10 October, a joint operation made up of several law enforcement agencies, including the National Intervention Unit and Special Task Force, arrested a group of 21 illegal suspected illegal miners at an illegal mine in Stilfontein, weeks after investigations into alleged illegal mining activities in the area were reported.
The suspects face charges ranging from violation of immigration laws and conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
During the arrests, the police uncovered and seized 15 AK47s, six hunting rifles, two shotguns and one R5, boxes full of ammunition, explosives, and an undisclosed amount of money.
The NPA said one of the accused, who was arrested at his home, is suspected of transporting food and goods to the illegal miners while on site.
“He was arrested at his home, and his vehicle was also seized. We expect that his cross-examination will commence when the matter resumes in court this week.
“The state is studying the docket’s preliminary charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of prohibited firearms, possession of ammunition and contravention of the immigration act, and not ruling out a possibility of adding more charges," he said.
According to Mamothame, all the suspects will remain in police custody until the next court appearance.
Following the raid and the arrests, the minister of police, Bheki Cele, made a stop in the area and promised to return for a comprehensive community engagement on issues raised by the community.
“Two weeks won’t be a very long time to come back and meet the community in full force," Cele said.
The Star
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