Investigator in Phala Phala burglary denies coercing State witness to sign prepared affidavit

MODIMOLLE - Another investigating officer in the Phala Phala matter has denied coercing a State witness to sign a prepared affidavit.

The witness, who cannot be named, accused police of making him sign a statement he didn’t understand because he was illiterate.

The man is an old friend of the three accused burglars and he’s accused of transporting them several times after the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm.

A trial-within-a-trial is taking place at the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo to determine whether his signed affidavit to the police can be submitted as evidence.

A Hawks detective, who was present when the witness made the statement, said they did not hand him any prepared notes.

"That’s not true, your worship. The reason we drove all the way to that place (North West) was for us to obtain the statement."

The witness claimed he was tortured by police with a plastic bag over his head and repeatedly threatened with arrest if he didn’t tell them about the accused burglars.

The detective also denied this.

"Colonel Schnelle [the investigating officer] typed his statement on his laptop and after that, we left and we did not take him anywhere. I do not know of his arrest, I don’t know of people taking him and putting plastic on his head, I do not know any of those things."