A Director of VIP 24 Protection, Mathyus Louis Coetzee was on Thursday, 1 December 2022 sentenced by the Bellville Regional Court on a charge of contravening the firearm Controls Act after entering into a plea agreement with the State.
This comes after members of the Hawks based in Bellville reacted on information received about a man who is a well-known associate of the underworld in the Western Cape, illegally obtained a firearm from him. This then resulted in the matter being referred to the Hawks for further probing and a warrant of arrest was issued against Coetzee.
During a search and seizure at his place of residence 2 cell phones, documentation, 4 firearm magazine, ammunition as well as .38 revolver were confiscated.
This culminated in Coetzee, handing himself over to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in their Bellville offices on 7 December 2012.
After his arrest more firearms were confiscated including 5 semi-automatic pistol with different serial numbers.
The accused was sentenced on three counts as follows:
Count 1: Sentenced to 2 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years for failure to notify the registrar in writing of any change in his physical address within 30 days of such change occurring.
Count 2: Sentenced to 2 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years, on condition that the accused is not convicted of a contravention of the Firearm Control Act.
Count 3: Sentenced to 5 year imprisonment which is wholly suspended for 5 years, on condition that the accused is not convicted of a contravention of Section 146 of the Firearm Control Act , Act 60 of 2000, where after being notified that his company VIP 24 Protection’s registration as a security provider had been withdrawn, however he ceased to carry on with business.
Furthermore, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, additionally, all the firearms confiscated will be forfeited to the State.
