RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - Three men between the ages of 32 and 57 have appeared in the Tlhabane Magistrates' Court on charges of being in possession of unwrought gold bearing material this week.
Gideon Gaotingwe Mangope, (57), Mahlatse Manyaka, ( 32) and Monnaotsile Christop Lebuowane, (38) have appeared in the Tlhabane Magistrates' Court on Monday, 15 January, following their arrest for possession of illegal unwrought gold bearing material.
The men's appearance in court follows their arrest by the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit in collaboration with Bidvest Security on Thursday, 11 January, when they responded to information about the suspects who were allegedly busy washing platinum bearing material at the Impala Minpro Processing Plant.
On their arrival the Hawks and security teams found the three suspects busy washing the platinum bearing material inside the batching stations at the floaters where spillage overflowed.
The suspects fled the scene when they spotted the police however, the team gave chase and the men were arrested. Eleven (11) bags containing unwrought gold bearing material were found and seized and the trio was subsequently charged with possession of unwrought gold bearing material.
They have been remanded in custody and the case was postponed until Friday, 19 January 2024.
