Mphego Granted R5,000 Bail in Ammunition Case

Former Crime Intelligence chief Mulangi Mphego was granted R5,000 bail on October 20 in Johannesburg on a charge of unlawfully possessing ammunition allegedly recovered from his Centurion home during a July search. The Johannesburg Magistrates Court barred Mphego from contacting or interfering with state witnesses. It rejected proposed conditions requiring him to report weekly to police and surrender his passport. The state did not oppose bail, and the case was postponed to November 3 for disclosure of the docket and further proceedings. The National Prosecuting Authority said the ammunition allegedly belonged to the state and was manufactured for South African Police Service use. Prosecutors allege Mphego possessed it without the required permit or authorisation. Reports said more than 100 rounds were seized, including ammunition for R5 rifles and 9mm firearms. Mphego’s lawyer, Piet du Plessis, argued that his client was entitled to possess the ammunition and said the issue was its alleged origin in police stock. He also questioned why police arrested Mphego more than three months after the July 6 search. The defence had proposed that Mphego be released on warning or on bail...