Former SA boxing champ, two others in Illegal copper operations case back in court
Pierre Coetzer, Pieter Venter and Vernon Michael van der Mescht again appeared in the Randfontein Magistrates' Court on March 16 for their suspected involvement in illegal copper operations worth more than R4,6 million.
Three men, among them two business owners and a former SA boxing champ who were arrested for suspected involvement in illegal copper operations worth more than R4,6 million in Randfontein appeared in court again on Wednesday, March 16.
This time Pierre Coetzer, 60, and Pieter Venter, 50, were joined by their co-accused, Vernon Michael van der Mescht, 56, in the Randfontein Magistrates’ Court.
The state informed the court that the docket had been transferred to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further investigation, and the case was postponed to Wednesday, April 20.
Also read: Hawks pounce on illegal copper operations worth R4,6 million in Randfontein: Three arrested
The Herald previously reported that Coetzer and Venter were both charged with contravening the Second-Hand Goods Act and the National Environmental Act.
On February 7, the Hawks, Randfontein Designated Second-Hand Goods officer and West Rand District Municipality Environmental Department officials pounced on Van der Mescht, who allegedly was loading copper blisters into a truck for distribution in KwaZulu-Natal.
The investigation team confiscated 42 copper blisters worth approximately R4,6 million for further investigation,” said Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
