Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi intends to strongly deny all allegations against him in connection with the alleged theft of precious stones worth nearly R15 million, his legal team has told the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court.
Mkhwanazi and co-accused Witness K, who previously testified before the Madlanga Commission, appeared in court on Monday as they applied for bail following their arrest on Friday.
The pair face charges linked to the alleged 2023 theft of precious stones valued at approximately R15 million from a residence in Houghton, Johannesburg.
During the bail proceedings, Mkhwanazi's attorney, Shafique Sarlie, said his client rejects the allegations and will present his version of events in an affidavit supporting his bail application.
"He is disputing the allegations vehemently. We will deal with them in our affidavit as part of the circumstances. We want to demonstrate that the interests of justice permit his release on bail. We will fully ventilate the issues, despite not yet having access to the contents of the docket," Sarlie told the court.
The bail application is expected to continue as the court considers whether the accused should be released pending trial.