Mill Park kidnapping suspect granted bail

One of the men accused accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy outside the aftercare centre at his school was granted bail of R1 000.

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Port Elizabeth – One of the men accused accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy outside the aftercare centre at his school in Mill Park was granted bail in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court on Thursday.

Leon Bekkies was released on bail of R1000. The case against him was postponed to April 20.

Bekkies’ lawyer, George Malgas, had previously indicated that his client was willing to turn state’s witness against his co-accused in terms of Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Malgas told ANA that the bail application for the two men were separated and his client’s version was accepted by the court.

“Evidence tendered to the court corroborated with his version, that he was dragged into this innocently and that he was under the impression that he was being fetched for a job as a fork lift driver,” Malgas said.

According to the charge sheet, “the kidnappers demanded a sum of R50,000 from [the child’s] father”.

A bail application for co-accused, Denro Williams, was still underway on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the court heard how on the day of the kidnapping in February the tearful boy feared for his life and later managed to alert a woman who then contacted the child’s mother.

Williams previously took to the stand and refused to answer any questions with regards to the merits of the case.

It emerged in court that Williams, Bekkies, and another unidentified suspect were involved in the alleged kidnapping.

The state indicated that Williams was linked to the case because his red VW vehicle was traced to the scene and he was found in possession of keys which belonged to “Horizon Staff Solutions” where the little boy was kept.

It further emerged that Williams was an employee at the recruitment agency and was the only one with access to the keys of the premises.

The State is alleging that Williams and a third suspect are the masterminds behind the crime and expanded on a “confession” that Williams had apparently made earlier.

“You indicated that you were instructed to get this boy because you were threatened and your family members were threatened and that’s why you went through with this kidnapping,” the state contended.

The state is opposing bail based on the fact that the case was “high profile” in nature and both accused know the whereabouts of the child’s school.

African News Agency

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