A Kariega Sergeant who has been charged with murder refused to answer numerous questions about his alleged involvement with gangsters, possible money laundering, prior arrests, and his role at the crime scene on the day of the murder, during his bail application in the Magistrate's Court on Monday.
Sergeant Rudy Arends, who has since been suspended, is attached to the Visible Policing Unit at the Kamesh Police Station.
In November, he became the third suspect to be arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Raul Damons, 31.
Damons was shot and killed at his house in Strelitzia Park on 30 December last year.
Arends also faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
During his bail application, Arends explained that he and Damons were close friends who frequented each other's homes.
He said at one point, he and Damons were involved in the buying and selling of vehicles and that the deceased would often deposit money into his bank account, which he would then withdraw and give to him.
On his version, Arends said he met up with Raul and others at a workshop on the day of his death and that they had spoken about a planned trip together to Cape Town early in the following year.
He detailed how he had gone looking for tires for his vehicle ahead of the trip.
He eventually met up with someone named "Curtis" at Willow Dam.
It was at Willow Dam that Curtis introduced Arends to "Makoppa" and "Clibo".
Deilon Makoppa and Clinton "Clibo" Minnies are Arends' co-accused in the murder case.
They were arrested in January and September, respectively.
According to Arends, a friend named "Xavion" called him later in the day to inform him that Raul had been shot at his home.
This prompted him to call a police officer who lived on Raul's street to go to the house before arriving there himself, according to his testimony.
At the house, Arends saw Raul lying on his back in his bedroom. He noticed that Raul had been shot in the head, he testified.
Arends said he was nowhere near the house at the time of the shooting and confirmed that he would plead not guilty at the commencement of the trial.
State prosecutor Advocate Liezel Landman questioned Arends about his involvement at the crime scene.
He admitted that he was present at the scene before the police arrived and that he went into the house to see Raul, knowing full well he was not supposed to.
Arends denied threatening witnesses on the scene by telling them not to say anything to the police.
He would not divulge the extent of his involvement with Raul in relation to the buying and selling of cars.
Raul had on numerous occasions deposited money into Arend's bank account, which he would then withdraw and give him the cash.
He refused to answer questions on why Raul deposited money into his account and whether his 16-year experience as a police officer did not raise any red flags that transactions could equate to money laundering.
Arends admitted to knowing "Curtis" (Peters).
He further testified that he was not aware that his co-accused were allegedly "known gangsters" and refused to comment when asked whether he had any contact with them after their initial introduction and the murder.
Landman put it to Arends that he named Curtis as the middleman and that he endangered the lives of other state witnesses by openly naming them during his testimony.
Based on Arends' cell phone records, Landman listed numerous phone calls and SMS messages between Curtis and Arends.
He refused to explain why they had contacted each other more than 30 times in the days before, on, and after the murder.
A total of 13 calls were exchanged between the two on the day before the murder.
Arends also refused to answer questions on his close relationship with members of the Crime Intelligence Unit in Uitenhage, their presence at court during a previous appearance, and the allegation that one member had visited him in the holding cells.
Other points where he kept mum were empty cartridges he stored at his house and the number of rounds in his state-issued firearm upon his arrest.
It came to light that Arends had previously been arrested relating to an incident in Uhmhlanga, in Durban, with a vehicle that was hijacked in Humewood in Gqeberha, in February.
He was also arrested but later released, in connection with a truck hijacking in Winburg in the Free State in March this year.
"These cases were withdrawn pending an investigation. It is not a matter of it not being prosecuted," Landman emphasized.
The case was postponed to 11 December.
