Three men who were arrested on 25 August face charges of kidnapping and robbery.
Captain Sifiso Mabizela, the spokesperson for Yeoville Police Station, said the suspects, Jude Egbo, Chinedu Ani and Chukunonso Mba, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 28 August and were remanded in custody.
Mabizela said the three will appear in court again on 6 September for a bail application. He explained that the complainant in the case visited an internet café on the corner of Muller and Delarey streets in Bellevue East at about 1pm on 23 August, when one of the suspects approached him. When he asked for the complainant’s WhatsApp contact detail, the complainant gave it to him.
“At around 8pm, the complainant received a WhatsApp from the suspect asking him if they could meet at 10pm,” said Mabizela.
“At about 10pm, while the complainant was waiting for the suspect in Muller Street, he received a message informing him that he was going to be late.
“A police van was [parked] in front of the complainant and the suspect sent another message [informing] him to move as he does not want police to see him.”
When the police van left, the suspect knocked on the victim’s car window and got into the car. They then drove off to Yeoville where they entered an apartment.
Some men who were inside the apartment grabbed his cellphone as well as his car keys and demanded money from him.
“Detective constables Vongani Shihangule and Khensani Muhlaba noticed suspicious movements around the place where the victim was [being held] while investigating other similar cases.
“They engaged an informer who went inside and managed to get a glimpse of what was happening. [When they saw] one of the suspects trying to open the motor vehicle belonging to the complainant, the police pounced and arrested them,” said Mabizela.
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