THE Port Shepstone Regional Court granted R50 000 bail on September 14 to Lucas Legabe, who is accused of stealing a R216m shipment of cocaine that had been found at an Isipingo container depot and transported to Port Shepstone for storage.

Also read: Drug bust update: Accused appear in Amanzimtoti Court

Legabe, 49, a businessman from Pretoria, is accused of breaking into the offices of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, in Port Shepstone in November 2021 and stealing the 541kg consignment. The State opposed bail, saying the accused was a flight risk and releasing him would jeopardise the investigation.

Legabe is facing charges of house break-in with intent to steal, theft, and dealing in or possession of cocaine. He has denied any involvement in the crime.

Handing down the ruling, Magistrate Nonjabulo Moleele said the State failed to convince the court that Legabe was a flight risk and that he would interfere with the investigation.

“I am very satisfied that the interests of justice can adequately be protected through strict and impossible bail conditions. Viewed in isolation, none of the grounds relied upon by the respondent has been shown on the evidence before this court to render detention necessary,” said Moleele.

She added that while she was not discounting the seriousness of the charges and the scale of the alleged enterprise, they are offset by the absence of any evidence connecting the applicant to the theft.

Legabe will be back in court on December 1.

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