Charges of illegal gambling against the Inet Cafe operating on Compensation Beach Road in Ballito have been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
The business that reportedly operates as an Internet cafe was raided in December after the police suspected illegal gambling.
Thirty-five computers and back-up hard drives were confiscated as well as R20 000 cash.
The manager of the cafe was arrested but later released on R2 000 bail. Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Vinny Pillay said the court felt the police did not follow the correct procedure and that there was no evidence on the computers to point to illegal gambling.
“There is a certain procedure that needs to be followed when doing a raid. The police raided the place that operates late at night and whose gates are always closed even during the day.
“When the police entered the premises someone had immediately turned the electricity off, which shut down all the computers. They operate as an Internet cafe but there were no photocopy machines, phones, scanners or any other equipment that one would find at a normal internet cafe. The windows are painted black and the gates are always locked.”
The computers were returned to the premises in Ballito and the business has since been operating. The Courier visited the cafe and spoke to the manager, Nardus, who did not wish to give his last name. Nardus confirmed that the place was indeed an Internet cafe, however, when The Courier asked if they could go in and use the Internet, Nardus laughed and said their Internet was “not working”.
The Johannesburg lawyer who represented the Cafe’s owner, Basil Vardakos, has also represented a few other businesses accused of illegal gambling.
Vardakos said the police did not follow all the necessary steps.
“The police raided the place in the evening, they did not speak with the owner of the business and there was no warrant. There was no evidence to support their allegations.”
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