Court hears accused acted on Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi's instructions in R14.9m precious stones heist

EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stols told the court that they were simply following suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi's orders.

The Johannesburg Magistrates' Court has heard that suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi allegedly instructed an EMPD officer and a former EMPD officer to confiscate precious stones valued at R14.9 million.

The allegations emerged during the bail application of EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stols on Thursday.

MacKenzie and Stols were for arrested for the crime that occurred at a flat in Killarney, Johannesburg, on February 11, 2023.

According to the State, the pair falsely presented themselves as members of a multidisciplinary law enforcement team comprising officials from the EMPD and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), claiming they were investigating suspected lithium smuggling.