Infamous Mamelodi taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela’s lawyer’s may abandon his bail application in an extortion, assault and intimidation case – one of three ongoing cases in which Mathibela is the accused – The Sowetan has reported.
This follows his lawyers’ failure last Thursday to convince the High Court in Pretoria to reinstate his R50,000 bail in another case, involving the murder of North West billionaire Wandile Bozwana.
The state wanted his bail revoked, approaching the High Court, where Judge Bert Bam ruled that it had successfully proved that Mathibela breached his bail conditions, failing to hand over his passport.
Now it seems Mathibela intend to withhold his bail in the extortion case.
“Right now that bail application does not serve much use because his bail in the [Wandile Bozwana] matter was revoked last week,” advocate Mpesi Makhanya told the Sowetan.
The lawyers are now “waiting for further instructions” from Mathibela “to know what we can do next”.
They added that his bail application in the extortion case has already been partly heard and so can’t be withdrawn, hence them wishing instead to withhold it.
READ MORE: Cop denies meeting notorious taxi boss ‘Khekhe’ while he was on bail
In May, the state argued that Mathibela was arrested while preparing to go on a holiday to Dubai despite his bail conditions preventing him from leaving the country.
In addition, the state has argued that Mathibela spent four days in Mauritius while out on bail for the murder of Bozwana.
Another of the taxi boss’s lawyers, Annelene van den Heever, argued that Mathibela had complied with his bail conditions, including handing over his passport and a title deed to his property.
Police captain Siphiwe Xulu insisted in court that he did not go to Khekhe’s Midrand home, despite video footage and records placing him at the property of the murder-accused.
Xulu testified in the High Court in Pretoria, where he was subpoenaed after Mathibela’s legal representative insisted that the officer gave the accused his passport.
Xulu denied receiving Mathibela’s passport and title deed, and also denied meeting Mathibela anytime after he was released on bail.
The police captain, however, said he was there to do investigations rather than to receive the documents.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Background reporting, ANA)
