Illustrious crime-fighters, Preetam Birbal and Imran Ghafoor, were granted bail of R6 000 each in the Newcastle District Court this afternoon, January 16.

Birbal, a sergeant in Newcastle’s Crime Prevention Unit, and Ghafoor, of the Newcastle Crime Fighters Task Team, were arrested on Wednesday, January 14, for allegedly staging a house burglary to account for a service pistol that was stolen out of Birbal’s personal vehicle.

Over the years, the two men have received widespread recognition in the community and in the local media for their involvement in a number of theft, fraud and drug-related arrests.

They now face charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice, while Birbal faces additional charges of negligent loss of a firearm, failure to safeguard a firearm, and perjury.

While the state did not oppose Birbal and Ghafoor’s release on bail, prosecutor, Jabulile Zondi, requested that the court impose strict conditions, including instructing Birbal and Ghafoor not to contact witnesses and not to interfere with the investigation.

These conditions were granted by the presiding officer, Magistrate Buhlebakhe Ngubane.

However, Ngubane denied Zondi’s request to order Birbal to take two weeks’ annual leave, and for both men to refrain from any community policing or security activities pending the finalisation of the case.

Ngubane explained that the court cannot force a person to take their annual leave, and that this is a matter that needs to be dealt with between employer and employee.

“If the SAPS doesn’t want him (Birbal) on the premises, there are internal disciplinary procedures they can follow,” he said.

Birbal and Ghafoor’s legal representative, Bradley Kelly, said there were no internal disciplinary proceedings instituted against Birbal at this stage.

The case was postponed to March 13 for further investigation.

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