The Pretoria pharmacist accused of manufacturing steroids will return to the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court in September.
“It was postponed for further investigation,” Lukas van Heerden’s attorney Wessie Wessels told Rekord.
The postponement follows Van Heerden and his co-accused Frans Dikgale’s appearance in court last week.
Van Heerden and Dikgale were arrested on 20 March 2019 following a tip-off to the police.
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The duo which was released on R40 000 bail, R30 000 for Van Heerden and R10 000 for Dikgale, were charged with the illegal production of steroids and possession of two firearms among other charges.
Although Van Heerden was deregistered as a pharmacist in 2015 according to the National Prosecuting Authority’s Phindi Louw, Rekord learned he was still working in a dispensary west of Pretoria.
“He worked as a pharmacist until 19 March 2019,” Kramers pharmacy manager Annatjie van der Walt said.
According to her, Van Heerden had not divulged his deregistration.
“We only found out after he was arrested,” Van der Walt said.
At the time of the arrest, Tshwane police flying squad spokesperson Constable Buhle Rahatji said: “Upon arrival at the address, they searched the premises with the permission of the owner and recovered illegal powders and machines that are believed to produce medications.”
She added that the police also found syringes, tablets and unknown illegal substances.
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“Two pistols, two hunting rifles and one short gun and ammunition were also recovered,” Rahatji said.
After Van Heerden’s arrest, a media report claimed the police had slept in his bed, used his bathtub and helped themselves to the contents of his fridge.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathepelo Peters said at the time they were looking into the allegations.
The report further claimed Van Heerden’s house was broken into a few days after his arrest.
His attorney claimed most of Van Heerden’s household contents were stolen during the break-in, excluding the steroid manufacturing machinery police found on his premises.
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“People managed to break-in because the police were not there,” he said.
Peters said she could not comment on the break-in as she did not have the case number.
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