Johannesburg – Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer Adrian Norman Mackenzie and former workmate Kesha Lee Stols, accused of participating in the theft of precious stones worth about R15 million from an apartment in Killarney, have been freed on bail.
The accused appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 16 July 2026, alongside a third accused – businessman Etienne van da Walt.
The trio was arrested earlier this month.
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However, the case against Etienne van da Walt was withdrawn, and he walked.
Prosecutors told the court that they were no longer opposing bail even though the accused faced the serious charges of robbery with aggravated circumstances and fraud, which are considered Schedule 6 crimes.
Both accused pleaded exceptional circumstances, with MacKenzie telling the court, through his affidavit, that his child was undergoing chemotherapy.
Stols, who said she quit the EMPD in 2023 because of intimidation, cited parental responsibility as a single parent and her medical condition as exceptional circumstances warranting her release on bail.
The prosecutors suggested bail of R5 000 each with conditions including reporting to a police station every week, on Fridays, and surrendering their passports.
The court agreed and granted both accused bail of R5 000 each with conditions that included reporting to their nearest police station every Monday between 06:00 and 18:00.
The matter was adjourned to 25 August 2026.
