A senior police officer, Willem Stoffel, today made his first appearance in the Bethanie Magistrates' Court on charges of defeating the end of justice and contravening the Organised Crime Act charges. 

His brief court appearance follows his arrest last Thursday. 

Stoffel's charges relate to the relocation of livestock brought from illicit proceeds from a farm in the Bethanie district to another on the alleged instruction of brothers Bino and George Cloete. 

The brothers face a charge of money laundering and illicit diamond trafficking, allegedly involving diamonds stolen during the Namdia robbery heist in January last year. 

During his appearance, Stoffel appealed to the court to grant him bail. 

The senior cop submitted he had made several unsuccessful attempts on numerous occasions to hand himself over to the authorities after learning a warrant of arrest had been issued against him. 

The attempts, he explained, include introducing himself to the investigation officer, Senior Inspector Frans Job, and surrendering himself to the ||Kharas Police senior management for arrest. 

According to him, ||Kharas Police could not arrest him as they were not in possession of his warrant of arrest issued in August last year. 

Stoffel argued detaining without the granting of bail will be inappropriate considering his attempts to hand himself over to the authorities. 

State Prosecutor Iyaloo Haipinge opposed the granting of bail on grounds of the seriousness of the offence the suspect faces. 

She noted the investigation into the matter is still ongoing and that the arrests of more suspects are likely.

She argued today's court proceedings were merely for the suspect's first appearance in court and not for him to address the court on a bail request.

Haipinge further noted the suspect does not have an inherent right to bail but rather a right to formally apply for bail. 

The State Prosecutor said Stoffel's co-accused's bail application hearing is set for 20 April, requesting that he be remanded in custody until then to formally apply for bail. 

Stoffel argued his personal circumstances differ from that of his co-accused, requesting the court to treat his application on an urgent basis. 

Magistrate Noah Samuel postponed the case until 20 April while advising the suspect he may apply for an urgent bail application hearing.