WATCH | Sibiya’s associate Scharnick stole and hijacked vehicles - KZN cops reveal

KwaZulu-Natal’s iLembe district police commissioner Maj-Gen Anthony Gopal said Stuart James Scharnick, an associate of Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, the suspended deputy national commissioner for crime detection, was linked to 29 criminal cases.

Gopal said 18 of the 29 case dockets were finalised as one case, which resulted in a plea agreement that saw Scharnick sentenced to five years in prison that was wholly suspended and a R150,000 fine payable over five years.

“We leave the question of how this outcome was reached to the National Prosecuting Authority,” he said on Thursday at a press briefing.

The briefing comes after Scharnick opened cases of perjury and defamation of character against crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo over what he said at the Madlanga commission.

In his testimony, Khumalo said Scharnick, who is from KwaZulu-Natal, was a serial hijacker who was linked to 34 criminal cases, with 18 convictions, five acquittals, and 11 withdrawals.

Speaking about the cases the KwaZulu-Natal police dealt with regarding Scharnick, Gopal said: “We have looked at 29 criminal case dockets. You’ve heard the version about “18 counts in one case”, but I’m going to show you a picture of 29 distinct cases against this individual — ranging from theft of motor vehicles to carjackings. Ten of the 29 cases relate to vehicle theft; eight involve carjackings."

He said the dockets originated from different police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and were centralised under the serious organised crime unit in the Hawks.

“We’re referring to physical evidence — not speculation. When you open these dockets, you find syndicate patterns typical of organised crime. In many cases, Scharnick was found to have sold vehicles obtained through theft or hijacking. Others involved his direct possession of stolen cars. The files also reveal recurring enablers — scrapyard dealers, fraudulent police clearances, and manipulated registration processes," he said.

Gopal said following internal reviews, they have compiled two dossiers.

“One is for the director of public prosecutions, highlighting our findings and requesting a review of the prosecutor’s conduct and mandate, and another for the Magistrates’ Judicial Commission, to determine whether the presiding magistrate had all relevant information when accepting the plea,” he said.

The briefing continues.

Sowetan