Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya's legal team has challenged the investigating officer's account of where he was arrested, disputing that he was apprehended inside the strip club at The Grand in Rivonia, Sandton. The issue emerged during the cross-examination of investigating officer Sergeant Nokukhanya Ndlovu at the Randburg Magistrates' Court on Friday, as Sibiya's bail hearing continued.
Sibiya was arrested at The Grand on September 21 and faces charges including three counts of sexual grooming, human trafficking, and rape. An additional firearm-related charge has also been added to the case. Defence lawyers questioned Ndlovu about the nature of The Grand and precisely where the arrest took place, with Ndlovu maintaining that Sibiya was arrested inside the strip club.
Sibiya's legal team, comprising Amanda Nel, Estelle Kilian, and Rashaad Moosa, put it to Ndlovu that The Grand was not exclusively a strip club and also had restaurant and hotel areas. Ndlovu maintained that Sibiya was arrested inside the strip club, despite Nel's assertion that the establishment had separate areas for dining and accommodation.
Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe asked Ndlovu to clarify exactly where Sibiya had been arrested, with Ndlovu reiterating that Sibiya was not arrested in the hotel or restaurant areas, but at the strip club. Nel disputed this version, putting it to Ndlovu that Sibiya had been having a meal with three other men in the restaurant when police arrested him, a claim Ndlovu rejected.
Sibiya is accused of sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl, who is alleged to be the daughter of a man who had provided protection and driving services to him. The State alleges that Sibiya communicated with the teenager on WhatsApp between July 20 and August 3 and that he possessed and distributed explicit photographs and videos involving her.
Sibiya has previously disputed the circumstances of his arrest, describing it in his bail application as a "well-orchestrated, diabolical plan" based on what he said were false allegations. He has also denied the State's version of how he came into possession of the explicit material, claiming that the teenager's father had forwarded it to him.
The bail hearing is continuing, with Sibiya's legal team challenging the State's description of the 16-year-old's father as someone employed by Sibiya as a bodyguard and driver. The allegations against Sibiya have not been tested at trial, and he disputes the State's case against him.
Key points
- Sibiya's legal team challenges police account of strip club arrest
- Sibiya faces charges of sexual grooming, human trafficking, and rape
- Bail hearing is continuing at Randburg Magistrates' Court
