By Johnathan Paoli
Police Sergeant Juan Maree Eksteen has been arrested and added as the sixth accused in the case involving the April 2022 abduction and murder of businessman Emmanuel Mbense.
Eksteen is the partner of the late Wiandre Pretorius, a former police reservist who was implicated in the Mbense murder and was being investigated in connection with the assassination of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D.
Pretorius died by suicide after shooting himself in front of Eksteen at a petrol station in Brakpan on the East Rand in February.
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Eksteen had previously been named during proceedings before the Madlanga Commission.
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and four other accused, namely former EMPD officer Keisha-Leigh Stols, suspended EMPD officer Adrian Mackenzie, suspended SAPS officer Bhekokwakhe Sibande and businessman Cobus Janse van Rensburg, are expected to apply for bail in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The five were arrested last week in connection with the Mbense murder, which had previously been investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
They face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice.
Mbense was allegedly abducted on 14 April 2022 and tortured during an interrogation before being killed.
His body was dumped in Spaarwater Dam in Duduza, near Nigel.
Evidence before the commission has placed Mkhwanazi at the centre of an alleged effort to conceal the murder.
Van der Merwe, the owner of a security company, testified that Mkhwanazi was summoned after Mbense had been killed and instructed those at the scene to dispose of his body.
Van der Merwe said he understood the instruction to be directed at him because Mkhwanazi was looking directly at him when he issued it.
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He subsequently complied.
Mkhwanazi has denied Van der Merwe’s version of events.
Van der Merwe was shot dead in December last year, just weeks after testifying.
Pretorius was later identified as a person of interest in the investigation into his assassination.
Mkhwanazi’s arrest last week marked the fourth time he has been arrested since allegations of criminal involvement emerged at the Madlanga Commission.
