CROOKED BLUE LINE: SAPS forensic analyst’s bail bid looms amid serious evidence tampering accusations

Captain Laurance Makgotloe, a forensic analyst attached to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory, is set to apply for bail in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 2 June, after being charged with defeating the ends of justice.

Captain Laurance Makgotloe, a police forensic analyst, is facing charges for allegedly tampering with crucial ballistic evidence in the April 2024 murder of engineer Armand Swart. The allegations against Makgotloe came to light during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Following an investigation, the commission’s Recommendations Task Team arrested Makgotloe at his Pretoria home on Friday, 22 May. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that during the arrest, team members seized state property, including ballistic reports, rounds of ammunition and other evidence relevant to the case.

Makgotloe made a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 25 May. The matter was postponed to Tuesday, 2 June, for a formal bail application.

The Madlanga Commission had previously heard testimony about the alleged tampering of forensic evidence linked to the murder of Swart.

Central to this testimony was evidence by witnesses A and B, detectives attached to the SAPS Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, who raised concerns about the ballistic investigation conducted at the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria.

According to Witness A, police recovered 15 rifle cartridges in a plastic bag, along with a firearm found inside a Mercedes-Benz Viano allegedly belonging to Warrant Officer Michael Pule Tau, one of those arrested for Swart’s murder.

Investigators also seized an AK-47, several pistols, and a Hyundai i20 allegedly used in the murder. While the initial ballistic examination in Pretoria allegedly failed to establish key links, a second analysis conducted at the Amanzimtoti Forensic Science Laboratory later linked the firearms to 30 serious and violent crimes.

The testimony of witnesses A and B painted a troubling picture of alleged interference in investigations targeting organised crime networks.

Appearing before the Madlanga Commission in October 2025, the two detectives raised concerns about the handling of critical ballistic evidence, particularly 15 cartridges recovered from the Swart murder scene.

The detectives testified that the cartridges were handed over for forensic analysis but were omitted from a ballistic report, despite being acknowledged as received.

Witness A told the commission he believed the omission was deliberate, describing the cartridges as a crucia