During the arrest of a Kariega police officer this week, charged with the murder of his friend, a 9mm pistol, an air gun, 19 live rounds of ammunition, and a plastic bag filled with spent cartridges were seized.
The breakthrough into the murder of Raul Damons, 31, comes almost a year after he was tied up in his Aalwyn Drive home and shot in the head at point-blank range in December.
But, speaking on behalf of Sergeant Rudy Arends, his lawyer, George Malgas, said Arends was flabbergasted when he was arrested because he had been close friends with Damons and his fiancée.
Malgas said Arends had even rushed to the crime scene when the news broke of Damons’ murder.
“He was just as shocked by the news as the rest of the community.
“They were family friends and would often visit one another,” Malgas said.
The Kamesh police station sergeant now finds himself in a St Albans prison cell as he awaits his formal bail application next week.
He faces a string of charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Arends was arrested by members of the Gqeberha anti-gang unit on Monday.
He appeared in the Kariega magistrate’s court on Tuesday alongside his co-accused, Clinton Minnies and Deilon Makoppa, arrested in January and September, respectively.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said Arends was remanded until November 14, when he would have an opportunity to apply for bail.
Three men had ambushed Damons at his Strelitzia Park residence on December 30, bound his hands and questioned him, before dragging him to another room where he was shot dead.
The police said at the time that the culprits had then fled in Damons’s white VW Golf 6 GTI, found abandoned in Winterhoek Drive later that day.
What Damons was allegedly questioned about remains unknown.
According to an internal crime report on the arrest of Arends, police seized a variety of items including a live rifle round and two empty 9mm cartridges.
The other confiscated items included a police-issued firearm, a 9mm pistol (Z88 parabellum), two magazines and 19 live 9mm rounds, all stored in an ammunition box.
Additionally, they allegedly discovered three .38 empty cartridges, two empty 9mm magazines and a black plastic bag containing 62 empty 9mm cartridges.
Two live rounds of an unknown calibre, as well as an air gun, were also allegedly among the items found.
In addition to the firearms and ammunition, officials confiscated police equipment such as a bulletproof vest, magazine pouches, a belt, two reflector jackets, leg holsters, a retention cord, a side holster, two police caps, two pairs of sergeant rank flashes, 12 name tags bearing the name “Arends”, two pairs of handcuffs and a Canon camera.
Malgas said during his brief consultation with Arends he had indicated that he would definitely plead not guilty.
“He denies any knowledge of the murder,” he said.
“The deceased was actually a very close friend and he was just as shocked when he was gunned down.
“He went to the scene immediately after.
“He was friends with [Damons’] fiancée too and they would all visit one another.”
Malgas said he was not sure at this stage what evidence the state was relying on to try to link Arends to the murder.
“We will probably get more information during the bail application.
“I can confirm he is currently being held at St Albans.
“The police confiscated cellphones, ammunition and a toy gun.
“He had a licensed firearm from the SA Police Service which entitles him to buy ammunition,” Malgas said.
About 2½ years before his murder, Damons claimed to have been assaulted by police members when he and four others were arrested in connection with the theft of car parts from Volkswagen, totalling R1.8m.
The theft charges against all five men were later withdrawn.
Contacted for comment on Wednesday, a relative of Damons said the family was not yet ready to speak.
However, family attorney Danie Gouws, who also represented Damons in the VW theft matter, said they had always been suspicious with regards to the circumstances surrounding the murder.
Gouws said in the lead up to the final arrest on Monday, he had been in consultation with the National Prosecuting Authority.
.
Arends is one of two police officers to be arrested in the Eastern Cape this week.
In East London, also on Monday, the provincial crime intelligence unit, with the assistance of East London public order police, conducted an operation related to drugs and illegal firearms at Buffalo Flats.
“At the first house in Vergenoeg, an unlicensed firearm and a substantial amount of money were found,” Naidu said.
“A 53-year-old man was detained on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.”
While still busy at the scene, a bakkie that had stopped nearby was also searched and another unlicensed firearm was found inside the vehicle.
“The second man, aged 32, was arrested on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
“The search at the second house in the Buffalo Flats area resulted in the arrest of a warrant officer, aged 43, of crime intelligence.”
Naidu said another illegal firearm was allegedly found at his house.
Warrant Officer Jonathan van Oordt was detained on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
“In total, three illegal firearms, the officer’s service pistol, and a large amount of cash were confiscated.”
Van Oordt, Roland Postman and Nathaniel Postman appeared in the East London magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene said the SAPS could not afford to tolerate any unethical behaviour or corrupt members within its ranks.
“We will not hesitate to arrest police officers who taint the institution with corrupt actions, and those who are tasked with the responsibility to uproot corruption must do so without fear or favour.
“We have repeatedly reiterated that police officers are not above the law.”
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.