Pretoria - A doctor is wanted by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit after he skipped bail in Limpopo.
The 48-year-old psychiatrist, Ernest Brandon, is alleged to have absconded from his bail hearing last week, after he was implicated in an illegal mining matter.
Brandon, described by police as a “foreign national”, was initially arrested
in January 2021 along with five other suspects accused of illegal mining at Phashaskraal Village, outside Burgersfort.
Hawks spokesperson Lethunya Mmuroa said the suspects were all released on bail and given their next court date, but Brandon absconded.
“On the next court date, Brandon never pitched up, as a result a warrant of arrest was authorised against him.”
Authorities were requesting the assistance of the public to re-arrest the suspect, he said.
“The Hawks are pleading with anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact the authorities,” Mmuroa said.
Illegal mining has become rife in Limpopo, with the arrest of zama zamas almost every week.
Last week 43 male suspects, aged between 18 and 43, and also described to be mostly “foreign nationals”, were arrested for illegal mining and contravention of the Immigration Act.
Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the suspects were accosted during a joint intelligence operation conducted by members of the provincial illegal mining task team, provincial organised crime unit and RR Undercover Security company.
The arrests were effected at Ga-Phasha village under Sefateng mine jurisdiction in the Mecklenburg policing precinct last Tuesday.
The suspects appeared in the Mecklenburg Magistrate’s Court facing charges of illegal mining and Contravention of Immigration Act.
Their case was postponed.
“Police received information about illegal mining activities taking place in the area and swiftly reacted,” Ledwaba said.
He added: “Upon arrival, police found the suspects busy mining a precious metal (chrome) at the mine without authorisation. When the suspects noticed the police presence, they ran into the nearby bushes and others went inside the self-made tunnels in an attempt to evade arrest.”
Last month three illegal miners, also in Limpopo, were arrested while allegedly loading illegally mined chrome worth more than R2 million on to a truck in Driekop, outside Burgersfort.
These arrests follow the appearance of an alleged “illegal mining kingpin” in the Northam Magistrate’s Court last month, which saw 48-year-old Cheng Liang Tom appearing in connection with illegal mining activities.
The matter involves an investigation into a R1.2 million chrome scandal last year.
Pretoria News