SANDF officers denied bail for smuggling stolen vehicles

The seven appeared in the Musina magistrate’s court sitting in Louis Trichardt last Thursday, August 5.

They are Peter Thato Namane (51) of Soshanguve; Rapula Reuben Maidi (49) of Ikageng; Edward Lepokola (48) of Sebokeng; Bulelani Danti (29) of King Wiliams Town; Ludwe Gwedashe of Gqeberha; Thembani Mjelo (31) of East London; and Marks Funeka (49) of Carletonville.

The seven accused’s military ranks range between lance-corporal and private.

They were arrested on June 21 and 22 of this year.

National prosecuting authority (NPA) spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said during the bail proceedings, the applicants did not testify and filed affidavits in support of their bail applications.

“In denying them bail, the court indicated that there are no exceptional circumstances adduced by the applicants in their application for bail as the offence fell under schedule 6.”

He said the prosecution opposed bail because of evidence the suspects allegedly planned to evade custody.

“The investigating officer and three other police officers testified they received a message that the accused were planning to escape from custody.”

They were also allegedly “arranging to hire a sangoma to eliminate the investigating team and the prosecutor”.

Their arrests follow allegations that the suspects accepted a bribe of R15 000 to allow stolen vehicles to cross the border to Zimbabwe from June 2019 to February 2020.

Police spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said the suspects were on police’s radar until they were arrested by a team in North West, Northern Cape and Free State provinces.

The suspects were deployed at the Beitbridge Border Post between 2017 and 2019.

Instead of doing their jobs, they “allegedly connived with vehicle smuggling syndicates to smuggle stolen vehicles through the Limpopo River in exchange for money,” said Maluleke.

The suspects will remain in custody as their case is postponed to September 1 for further investigation.