Businessman Scharnick granted bail in firearm law breach case

The Randburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday granted businessman Stuart Scharnick bail of R5,000 in a matter involving alleged contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.

The charges stem from a police investigation into alleged non-compliance by Scharnick, 40, with firearm registration and storage requirements.

It is alleged that police officials attended the accused’s residential address in Douglasdale to inspect his firearms.

Upon arrival, they were unable to locate him and subsequently established that he had relocated without informing the Central Firearms Registry of his change of address, as required by law.

Police later proceeded to the accused’s new residence, which is owned by his partner. During the inspection, officers allegedly found that one of the accused’s firearms was not stored in a prescribed safe, contrary to the provisions of the Firearms Control Act.

“The state opposed the bail application. However, the court found that Scharnick had satisfied the interests of justice and that any potential risks could be adequately addressed through strict bail conditions,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said.

He said these conditions include notifying the investigating officer should he relocate from Gauteng or travel outside SA. Scharnick’s passport has been handed over to the investigating officer as part of the bail conditions to monitor his movements.

The state had also applied for Scharnick to report once a week at the Randburg police station. However, the court did not grant this condition, finding that he was not a flight risk.

The case was postponed until November 11 for further investigation.