Three criminals committed a crime together but in the end, only one was left to face the music.
A 35-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in the Kagiso Magistrates’ Court for robbing a well-known medical doctor’s surgery.
Gabriel Ompie Dlamini and two accomplices barged into Dr Solly Motlanthe’s surgery in Kagiso and held two employees at gunpoint on Friday, 13 November 2015.
The armed men robbed Mothlanthe’s employees of five cellphones and R1 000.
“They entered my practice at night and held up my employee who was manning the gate. They stole two cellphones and cash from him. As one robber kept a lookout, another robbed my receptionist inside the practice,” Mothlanthe told the News.
Mothlanthe recounted how the third criminal opened his consulting room door violently, resulting in a confrontation.
“I scolded him and told him that he must wait for his turn because I didn’t know that he was a robber. He pointed a gun at me and demanded money, a safe and cellphones. I was consulting with a female patient and decided to take her to the examination room for her safety so that I could deal with the thug on my own. I was trying to protect her.”
The criminal then proceeded to steal R700 and Mothlanthe’s Samsung phone, then left the consulting room and made a run for it.
A month later, one of the five cell phones was recovered at a local tavern in the Zulu Jump area of Kagiso. Dlamini was arrested for the business robbery and was positively identified by the doctor at a police identity parade.
Dlamini’s application for bail was denied as the investigating officer, detective Constable Semosa opposed it.
“I have been practicing here for 30 years and this is the first time we’ve been robbed. My staff had to go for counselling due to severe mental trauma. We have beefed up our security and although we are shaken, we are not going to be intimidated,” Mothlanthe told the News.
According to Mothlanthe, one of Dlamini’s accomplices has been arrested and is appearing in court soon.
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