Cape Town - A 70-year-old man appeared in a Cape Town court on Friday in connection with a large cache of weapons which was found at his residence last month.
Keith Conroy was granted bail of R3 000 by the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court and warned to appear again on March 29.
Conroy was arrested on Thursday and charged with failing to safeguard his licensed firearms after they was found in his vehicle without supervision.
According to the charge sheet, his vehicle was found at N1 City mall in Goodwood, with a Colt AR-15 rifle, Glock firearm and Winchester 12 Gauge shotgun inside.
Conroy, who gave his listed address as Grotto Bay in the Western Cape, had also been sought by police in connection with a cache of weapons found at a residence in Vryburger Street, Bothasig, last month.
According to his legal counsel, Conroy had been away on holiday recently.
Acting on a tip-off, police discovered the arms in a flat at the back of a house on December 18.
He faces charges under the Firearms Control Act, including unlawfully being in possession of three gun frames, two gun slides and two firearm barrels.
He also faces charges related to thousands of rounds of ammunition found at the Bothasig residence where police also recovered right-wing paraphernalia.
According to the charge sheet, police found:
– 908 .223 calibre rounds
– 100 shotgun rounds
– a further 45 shotgun rounds
– 4 700 ammunition primers
– 550 .223 calibre rounds
– 1 000 .45 calibre rounds
– a further 870 .45 calibre rounds
– 349 9mm rounds
– 528 .308 calibre rounds
– a further 440 .308 calibre rounds
– 1 028 .40 calibre rounds
– a further 1 000 .40 calibre rounds
– and 82 .22 calibre rounds
Defence counsel Carlo Viljoen argued for his client’s release on bail of R500, saying he had a fixed address and was a business owner.
However, State prosecutor Benito Adonis argued that due to the seriousness of the offences, R500 was too little, adding: “These are very serious charges which may still change as the investigation was still outstanding.”
When questioned by Magistrate Shaun Lea as to the nature of the business, Conroy indicated that he ran a self-defence business, but that he had no income at present as he was between contracts.
Viljoen told the court his client’s next contract was due to start in Clanwilliam up the Cape West Coast.
Lea set bail at R3 000 and warned Conroy to appear again in court on March 29.
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