Ballistics Report Errors Lead to Postponement in Armand Swart Murder Case

Ballistics Report Errors Lead to Postponement in Armand Swart Murder Case

GAUTENG—The Gauteng Organized Crime Unit announced that the ballistics expert's case has been postponed to next Tuesday. This decision followed the discovery of significant errors and omissions within the forensic report related to the murder of Armand Swart, which initially failed to establish clear links between the suspects and the firearms seized during their arrest.

The South African Police Service said the court case against the SAPS ballistic expert was postponed
A top cop was in court for allegedly tampering with a scene. Image: Chris Ryan
Source: Getty Images

According to Newzroom Afrika, South African Police Service spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe detailed that suspects allegedly fled the murder scene, where an AK-47 was found, and abandoned their vehicle. Intelligence units monitored the suspects as they moved to a second vehicle, leading to their swift arrest. An AK-47 rifle and two pistols were confiscated from one of the suspects' residences.

The recovered weapons were subsequently sent to the head office forensic science laboratory for ballistics testing. Captain Makgotloe finalized and signed off on the initial ballistic report. Upon presentation, however, the specialized investigators noted critical mistakes and a lack of necessary ballistic linkages.

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The Organized Crime detectives received additional information indicating that the hitmen are implicated in several high-profile cases, including multiple murders and attempted murders. The ongoing investigation aims to rectify the forensic report errors to solidify the state's case.

The two lead investigators from Gauteng Organized Crime were commended for identifying the mistakes in the forensic documentation, which prevented flawed evidence from being presented in court. The postponement allows the forensic team to finalize an accurate ballistics report ahead of the next scheduled court appearance.

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Fannie Nkosi faces more charges

Similarly, Briefly News reported that sergeant Fannie Nkosi's woes compounded after the state added more charges to his case. Nkosi was accused of being involved in tampering with evidence.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is a senior current affairs writer at Briefly News. With a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON, he has a strong background in digital journalism, having completed training with the Google News Initiative. He began his career as a journalist at Daily Sun, where he worked for four years before becoming a sub-editor and journalist at Capricorn Post. He then joined Vutivi Business News in 2020 before moving to Briefly News in 2023. Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za