Tag Archives: Prosecutor Thibedi

Burmeister Trial: K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid

Mike Hampton Posted on by

Before I cover day 2 and 3 of the trial of ex-Warrant Officer Johann Burmeister, let me explain, simply, how ridiculous this situation is: Johann Burmeister, a detective in the Knysna SAPS with 3 decades experience on the force, retrieves a recovered, stolen laptop from evidence at the Knysna police station in November 2013. His intention is to discover who the owner is. Sergeant Maurice Grootboom is in charge of evidence that day. He’s busy taking an affidavit so lets Burmeister take it without officially booking it out. Burmeister takes … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

Big score for Burmie in Court (Part 3)

Mike Hampton Posted on by

Prosecutor Thibedi called Captain Michelle Lesch as his second witness. Lesch was a notable, professional improvement on Grootboom. Befitting her position as a high ranking officer, she provided clear answers and would often add info for clarification. She provided insight into regulations and how the police station treated evidence. Regards the latter, which is vital to this case, she said that evidence would be collected each morning from the safe at CSC (Community Services Centre) by a SAP13 clerk (either Sergeant Carmen Coetzee or Sergeant Abraham Coetzer). This would then … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

Big Score For Burmie in Court (Part 2)

Mike Hampton Posted on by

So much doesn’t add up regards Sergeant Maurice Grootboom’s version of what happened with the missing laptop: Grootboom agreed that Burmeister had asked to ‘book out’ the laptop as he was going to take it to the IT company which implied a purpose and not a seasoned cop making the dumbest theft attempt.  Grootboom admitted that that was not the behaviour of someone wanting to steal. He doesn’t remember who else was on shift but remembers that Sergeant Carmen Coetzee wasn’t (Coetzee’s role seems to be becoming integral to the … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!