Patel: Children belong with my family

POLOKWANE – The three children of Rameez Patel has been conditionally placed under the care of Patel’s mother-in-law, residing in Pretoria, until 7 November.

Patel is charged with the murder of his wife, Fatima, in 2015 and is standing trial in the Polokwane High Court. He also applied for bail in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court after he was charged with the murder of his mother earlier this year.

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The court will then take a final decision on the children’s future.

The State prosecutor, Mashudu Mudau, yesterday (Wednesday) told the court about the interim court order granted on Tuesday, springing a surprise on Patel and his legal representative, Tumi Mokoena. The children have been visiting their maternal grandmother since the school holiday, shortly before Patel was apprehended, and they need to be enrolled in a new school in Pretoria.

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Mokoena and his client wants to fight the order as Patel said the children ‘belong with my family’.

Patel’s reasons submitted for application of bail was that he had to look after the children following the death of his mother, and running his businesses, as he submitted there were nobody else to run the businesses.

Investigating officer, Johannes Tlou Chokwe from the Westenburg police station, however, submitted evidence in court to the effect that Patel’s businesses in Polokwane have been closed down in March. A business in Makhado is in the process of being closed down by the end of this month, businesses in Thohoyandou were being run by a member of the family, Elias Patel, and that Patel, according to evidence submitted by managers, did not play a role in the running of the businesses anymore: payment of salaries and ordering of stock is being done by managers.

The court also heard about a weapon and bullets retrieved from a witness and photos on a cell phone of money handed over to an alleged hitman and the weapon for killing Patel’s mother. Patel did not have a licence for any weapon. Police are also investigating if the firearm was used in any other crime.

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The court was informed about possibilities of the hitman entering the house from one of two possible doors of Patel’s mother’s house: a private door used by Rameez Patel, which was allegedly opened three times before the attack on his mother, and a kitchen door. The relationship between Patel and his mother was strained, the two of them not communicating with each other for days before the murder. Chokwe also testified that he had evidence of Patel’s mother giving notice to the bank of her intention to transfer R1 million. Patel borrowed R10 000 from another witness and two witnesses testified Patel intended to kill his mother.

The witnesses are afraid Patel might be released on bail. Two witnesses said they were threatened with death by Patel.

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Patel’s murder case postponed so he can mourn the death of his mother

Murder accused Rameez Patel’s father killed in shooting

nelie@nmgroup.co.za