JOHANNESBURG - The case against two accused in the Killarney precious stones heist has been postponed to next week for a formal bail application.
Ekurhuleni Metro Police official Adrian Mackenzie and businessman Etienne van der Walt appeared in court on Monday, on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and fraud.
READ | Pair to appear in court over alleged R15m Killarney gem theft
The pair are among five suspects accused of staging a home heist, making off with six boxes of precious stones valued at nearly R15 million.
According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), spokesperson Lizzy Suping, when the investigation began, there were six suspects.
Suping said three were from EMPD, one from Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), one from Gauteng Traffic Police and a businessman who allegedly presented himself as a police officer during the raid.
The sixth suspect has since died, she added.
It is alleged that law enforcement officers and a businessman conducted a fake raid on the apartment.
"EMPD officers conducted an investigation outside their area of jurisdiction, while the JMPD officer based in VIP protection does not conduct any investigations in terms of her work responsibilities and the businessman impersonated a police officer during the raid," Suping explained.
The matter will return to court on 16 July.