By Marcus Moloko
The State has officially withdrawn all charges against businessman Etienne van der Walt, who had been accused of posing as a law enforcement officer in the case against two Ekhurhuleni Metro Police officers accused of robbery and fraud linked to the theft of precious stones worth R 15 million in Killarney.
State prosecutors confirmed that representations made directly to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were accepted.
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Van der Walt’s attorney, Peter Jay, welcomed the decision, noting that his client had consistently maintained his innocence.
With Van der Walt cleared, the criminal proceedings now continue solely against his former co-accused, Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer Adrian Mackenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stols.
Both face charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and fraud.
The charges stem from a coordinated fake raid staged on 11 February 2023 at an apartment complex in Killarney, Johannesburg.
The group, masquerading as a multi-disciplinary task team investigating lithium smuggling, assaulted complainant Pieter Prinsloo and confiscated six boxes of sugilite and manganese stones valued at R14.9 million.
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Testimony revealed the stolen crystals were offloaded for just R110,000, with participants pocketing about R22,000 each.
The operation was exposed during testimony by Witness K, before the Madlanga Commission, who implicated rogue police networks. Among those named was suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, who has denied involvement.
