VIDEO: Centurion man slams justice system after house robbery
“What are the odds of the suspect being successfully convicted for his crime?”
A 52-year-old Centurion man is seeking justice after a robbery at his house where two cars were stolen.
The robbery took place during the early hours of 18 January.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said he and his wife were asleep when the robbery happened.
“I would say they were very professional as we did not hear them.”
Later, the man was called in by police to identify some tools that may have been stolen from his house. This happened after police had pursued a hijacked vehicle.
“The police apprehended the suspect in Olievenhoutbosch and found the tools at his residence. The tools belonged to me.”
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The man said that the constable on the case assured him that police would not grant the suspect bail until he revealed the syndicate involved in all these motor vehicle thefts.
“On Monday I discovered that the suspect was indeed released on bail.”
He said according to an e-toll billing statement, his vehicle went through the Stormvoël off-ramp at around 17:50 the same day.
“I think it was a lead worth following up; but unfortunately, we cannot dictate how investigations need to be done.”
VIDEO:
He recalled how he discovered the robbery.
“I woke up to get ready for work and opened the front door to discover that my wife’s vehicle was not there. I looked around the corner and my single automated garage door was standing three-quarters open and my car was gone as well.”
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The man said the house’s front security gate was still locked but the keys were missing.
“I proceeded to the back door where I found it, with the security gate unlocked. The keys for the gate were left in the slot by the robbers and the rest of the keys were neatly placed outside on the courtyard wall.
“I tried to call the Lyttelton police station at 05:00 that morning, but no one answered. I then called Wierdabrug police station, whose officers arrived about five hours later.”
He said he had learnt from the complex’s security company and the caretaker that two other units were also broken into that morning, with a car and motorbike stolen from one house and a laptop from the other.
“I gave a written statement to two police constables, one of whom appeared nonchalant. I detailed the items stolen as a Chevrolet Utility, Hyundai Getz, laptop, wallet, tools and power tools all to the value of around R275 000.”
He said it was disappointing to know that the suspect was out on bail.
“What are the odds of the suspect being successfully convicted for his crime? This is a clear indication that our justice system is not working for hardworking people like myself and many others. But my wife and I are thankful to be alive.”
Olievenhoutbosch police confirmed the case was still being investigated.
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The National Prosecuting Authority’s response will form part of a follow-up article.
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