By Johnathan Paoli
A Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer who testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry as Witness K has been arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), while authorities continue searching for a fifth suspect linked to the alleged R14.9 million Killarney precious stones robbery.
Speaking on Friday, IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed that Witness K was arrested in Alberton. She said investigators are still pursuing the outstanding suspect, a suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officer.
“We have to regroup as a team. We found the suspect’s child at the residence, but his father was not there. Initially, we had five warrants of arrest. About a week ago we executed three of those warrants while outstanding administrative processes were being finalised. We are still pursuing the fifth suspect,” Suping said.
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Witness K previously testified before the Madlanga Commission in closed proceedings after expressing fears for her safety should her identity be made public.
During her evidence, she admitted participating in the 2023 operation and implicated several others in what she alleged was a premeditated robbery disguised as a legitimate police operation.
Her arrest marks a significant development in the parallel criminal investigation into the alleged robbery, which has run alongside the commission’s inquiry into corruption and criminality involving law enforcement officials.
Witness K told the commission she decided to come forward to acknowledge her role in what has become known as the Killarney precious stones case.
She testified that she received information from an informer several months before the incident that valuable sugilite and manganese stones were being stored at a flat in Killarney. According to her evidence, she passed the information to a senior EMPD official, who allegedly assembled a
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