Accused chained in street
2007-02-06 21:18
Walter Ka Nkosi
Nelspruit - A magistrate severely reprimanded two policemen who made a suspected cash-heist kingpin walk through the streets in leg chains and handcuffs to get to court.
The suspect's lawyer, Coert Jordaan, protested that onlookers in the street laughed at his client, who was forced to enter the court through the public entrance.
He said: "Your worship, this is unacceptable and also against the law."
Later, when the suspect was brought back into court after a short recess, he was brought in through the back entrance, but was still chained.
'Unchain him - now'
Magistrate Annemarie van der Merwe turned on the officers.
"Why are these chains on him? Unchain him immediately! Now!" she said.
The suspect, Namibian-born Emmanuel Barros, 36, is accused of leading an attack on pension-payment company Empilweni Payout Services.
A company van was robbed of R500 000 on February 1 at the entrance to the company in Nelspruit while delivering money boxes. No shots were fired.
The thieves fled in a BMW.
Barros was arrested that day when a witness directed police to a flat where he was found.
When he appeared in court on Monday, he said police had beaten him in jail. The court postponed the case so he could get medical attention.
He returned to court later that afternoon with a doctor's letter that indicated that his injuries were minor and that he was fit for trial.
Barros was not asked to plead to an armed-robbery charge and the case was postponed to Friday for a bail application.
R250 000 in flat
He is accused of masterminding the robbery, and police are searching for four other suspects.
Police allegedly found high-calibre machine guns and R250 000 in the flat where they arrested Barros.
This was not the first time Empilweni had been robbed.
It was robbed of more than R700 000 in 2004, but the suspects walked free because there wasn't enough evidence to convict them.
- African Eye