Fraud, corruption case postponed to January

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay police official Sergeant Jacobus ‘JM’ Spangenberg of the K9 Langeberg Unit made a brief appearance in the Mossel Bay Magistrate’s Court today, 3 December.

Spangenberg and his co-accused, Xolisa Msizi, are facing charges of fraud, corruption, defeating the ends of justice as well as possession of explosives.

Msizi was meant to appear alongside Spangenberg today, but was absent as he is currently out of town for work.

He had informed his legal representative prior to today’s court date that he would be unavailable, and he informed the court. The State was also informed of this.

The case was postponed to 23 January, when both of the accused are expected to appear.

During today’s court proceedings, Spangenberg’s defence attempted to have the case discontinued on the basis of Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, relating to traps and undercover operations, stemming from Spangenberg’s alleged involvement in an operation that took place in February 2022.

However, the State argued that should the defence wish to submit such a motion, the proper procedures would have to be followed before it can be brought before court, to which the court agreed.

Spangenberg was arrested on 8 October, following a three-year investigation by George’s Serious Organised Crime Unit into the 2022 operation that involved the discovery of an M26 hand grenade near KwaNonqaba.

Spangenberg had allegedly informed the Mossel Bay Explosives Unit of an operation to uncover the suspected grenade.

“On the day of the operation, the explosives unit was called to a scene next to the N2 highway near KwaNonqaba to examine the device and indeed found it to be an M26,” confirmed the Hawks’ spokesperson, Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, at the time of Spangenberg’s arrest.

However, Hani said the investigations showed that the Local Criminal Record Centre had not been out to the scene, as per protocol, and that no successful arrest had been made for possession of the identified explosive device.

Upon further investigation, however, it was found that Spangenberg himself had indeed made an arrest on the day of the operation, but that that matter was not enrolled on the court roll for some reason.

The suspect Spangenberg had arrested was believed to have been a registered informer, but for whom exactly is as yet unclear.