JOHANNESBURG -Suspended deputy EMPD boss Julius Mkhwanazi is back behind bars.
This was after Mkhwanazi was traced and arrested in Bedfordview on Friday night.
Mkhwanazi is the fifth suspect in connection with the theft of R14.9 million worth of precious stones from a Killarney flat in 2023.
The search for him began early in the day when IPID moved to round up the remaining warrants of arrest for suspects involved in the case.
During the operation, a Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) inspector who testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry as Witness K in camera was arrested.
Witness K admitted to the commission her role in the theft and outlined how the stones were to be seized unlawfully from the owner.
But while the team was able to arrest Witness K, Mkhwanazi’s whereabouts were still unknown.
READ | Witness K arrested in multi-million-rand precious stones case
It was not until Friday night that IPID spotted a location which they believed Mkhwanazi was in, bringing the pursuit for him to an end just after 7pm.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said initially, there were five warrants of arrest that we had to effect.
“A week ago, we only effected three warrants because we had to sort out the paperwork for the remaining two. So today we are affecting the two warrants of arrests," she said.
According to Suping, the five are alleged to have raided a house in Killarney without a warrant.
She said one of the suspects impersonated themselves as a police officer, while others went to conduct an investigation in an area which was not their area of jurisdiction.
“There was theft of those precious stones, and they did not even register those exhibits after they seized them from that house in Killarney in the occurrence book of the South African Police Service at a police station,” she explained.
This recent arrest marks yet another chapter of Mkhwanazi’s fall from grace.
READ | A brush with the law again: Mkhwanazi claims arrest politically motivated
He already faces two other pending cases in separate courts.
One, before the Boksburg Magistrate Court alongside Ekurhuleni Municipal Manager Kagiso Lerutla.
The pair is accused of paying a third party about R400,000 to impersonate Lerutla in court.
Lerutla was due to appear on a speeding charge in 2019, but allegedly missed the court appearance to attend a job interview.
The second, before the Germiston Magistrate's Court, relates to the 2023 blue lights saga involving the private vehicles of controversial businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.
In both cases, he is out on bail.
On Thursday, three suspects in the alleged theft of the precious stones case appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for the continuation of their bail application.
READ | Witness K implicates Julius Mkhwanazi in precious stones theft
However, the State withdrew charges against one of the accused, businessman Etienne van der Walt
Van der Walt was arrested alongside EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stohls.
The court appearance for Witness K and Mkhwanazi is yet to be confirmed.