Cape Town - Prominent lawyer Barnabus Xulu has blamed “reckless” journalism after his family became the targets of five armed suspects who made off with valuable items during a house robbery in Camps Bay on Tuesday.
Xulu, who is currently out of the country, confirmed the robbery at a home in Camps Bay where the family has been living while his Fresnaye property is under renovation.
Xulu said he would be making his way home soon to ensure the safety of his family.
SAPS spokesperson, Frederick van Wyk, confirmed the armed house robbery along Hely Hutchinson Avenue at 13.22pm.
Van Wyk said five men entered the home – one of them armed with a firearm and another armed with a knife.
Van Wyk said two men were locked up in the toilet while the robbers went about their plundering of the home. The men were left unscathed.
“Electronic devices, jewellery and expensive designer clothes were stolen. There are no further leads yet,” said Van Wyk.
Xulu said: “Laptops and (an) iPad (was taken) as we now work from home after our Department of Environment Affairs and Forestry (Daff) case. All our jewellery and clothes (were taken),” said Xulu.
He added that he was unsure if any documents and confidential information were taken.
Xulu blamed the attack on media reports in which he is said to have pocketed R20 million.
During January 2020, Western Cape High Court judge dismissed Xulu’s leave to appeal against the ruling for him to repay over R20.2 million which the court believed the firm was not entitled to after the discovery of alleged fraudulent signatures in the service-level agreement papers between Xulu’s law firm (B Xulu & Partners Inc BXI) and Daff in May 2017.
“They knew the money paid mostly advocates and other service providers. But only my name has been in the public domain. This department has been reckless and malicious. They are doing all in order to steal R150m I recovered for the South African government,” said Xulu.
“I think that is how we got exposed to these criminals. Clearly it was targeted.”
Cape Times