Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and ‘Witness K’ to face charges over alleged R14.9m precious stones theft

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi and an EMPD officer known as “Witness K” are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court after being arrested in an intelligence-led operation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) over the alleged theft of precious stones worth R14.9 million.

Arrests and custody

Both suspects were detained after being arrested on Friday and spent the weekend in police custody ahead of the court appearance on Monday. Mkhwanazi was arrested at a house in Kensington just before 8pm on Friday, IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed.

“The second suspect was finally arrested at a house in Kensington just before 8 p.m. He will also be detained at the Germiston Police Station,”

Suping said.

“Witness K”, an inspector in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) VIP Protection Unit, was arrested earlier on Friday in Alberton as part of the same IPID investigation.

Allegations and earlier testimony

Witness K previously gave evidence before the Madlanga Commission saying Mkhwanazi allegedly orchestrated the 2023 Killarney robbery. She told the commission that she, Mkhwanazi and a three-member team carried out the operation involving the theft of high-grade sugilite and manganese stones, and that each person allegedly received R110,000 from the proceeds. Mkhwanazi has denied those allegations.

Related court proceedings and other suspects

The arrests form part of an ongoing IPID investigation into the alleged disappearance of the precious stones. The matter has links to earlier court proceedings in which EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stols told the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court they acted on instructions they claim were given by Mkhwanazi. MacKenzie and Stols face charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and fraud in connection with an incident at a flat in Killarney on February 11, 2023.

According to the State, MacKenzie and Stols falsely identified themselves as members of a multidisciplinary law enforcement team comprising EMPD officials and members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), used those representations to gain entry to the property, assaulted the complainant, threatened those present with firearms and stole six boxes of high-grade sugilite and manganese stones valued at an estimated R14.9 million. The State further alleges the pair acted outside the EMPD’s lawful jurisdiction while falsely claiming they were authorised to conduct law enforcement operations within the City of Johannesburg.

During the previous proceedings, prosecutors withdrew the charges against businessman Etienne van der Walt. MacKenzie and Stols were granted bail of R5,000 each, and the case was postponed to August 25 for further investigation.

Investigation continues

The IPID intelligence-led operation that led to the Friday arrests is part of an ongoing investigation. Further court processes and investigations are expected to follow as the matter proceeds through the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.