By Johnathan Paoli
Senior South African Police Service (SAPS) forensic analyst Captain Laurence Makgotloe, who is accused of tampering with ballistic evidence in two murder investigations, told the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday that he could afford bail of R10,000 and would not interfere with witnesses or ongoing investigations if released.
Makgotloe returned to court as his bail application resumed, with proceedings taking a significant turn after magistrate Johannes Kruger ruled that the matter should be treated as a Schedule 5 offence.
The ruling places the burden on the accused to show why the interests of justice permit his release.
The veteran ballistics expert faces charges linked to the alleged manipulation of evidence in the murder investigations of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart and musician DJ Sumbody.
The allegations surfaced during proceedings before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and subsequently led to a criminal investigation.
In an affidavit read into the
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