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Pretoria - A man accused of theft, on Wednesday pleaded with the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to return his truck, confiscated after his arrest, as it was his only means to provide income for his family.
Unaware that a generator he allegedly stole on Tuesday was fitted with a tracker, the generator and Cornelius Johannes Knoesen, 34, were traced to a garage at the intersection of Van der Hoff and Hornsnek roads in Kirkney, west of Pretoria. He was arrested at the scene the same day.
The court heard that the estimated value of the generator was R140 000 and the property of LTD Mast, a generator-supply company.
Knoesen’s lawyer proposed bail of R1 000 and asked the court to immediately return his truck as it was his only means of income.
Magistrate Maryke de la Rey set bail at R4 000. She indicated that the court did not have the power to return Knoesen’s truck as it was up to the State and the investigating officer to decide if the truck would be used as evidence during the trial.
With his hands clenched behind his back and dressed in a neon yellow reflector jacket, Knoesen, repeatedly looked back into the public gallery where his wife and other family members were sitting.
The State indicated that the truck could not be returned as it was too early in the investigation to determine if the truck would indeed be used as evidence.
De la Rey suggested a written request on behalf of Knoesen to the investigating officer.
The State indicated that witness statements as well as a tracker report were still outstanding and requested a six week postponement to finalise investigations.
Pretoria News
