Bank heist suspect was on parole
One of the four men charged with robbing a security guard of more than R300 000 at Capitec Bank in Pietermaritzburg was on parole for robbery at the time.
|||Durban - One of the four men charged with robbing a security guard of more than R300 000 in cash at Capitec Bank in Pietermaritzburg was out on parole for robbery, and another was a security guard at the time the crime was committed.
This was revealed at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday when the four suspects made their bid for bail.
The State opposed the bail application of Velaphi Milton Sibiya, 47, of Umlazi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, 46, of Mpumalanga township, Thembani Dongwe, 29, and Thandinkosi Ngema, 38, of Imbali.
The four are charged for the brazen morning robbery at Capitec Bank at Selgro Centre in the Pietermaritzburg CBD on February 8.
It is alleged they put a gun to the head of G4S security guard Mphiliseni Khawula and robbed him of a cash box containing R332 000.
Khawula was attacked by a gang of five men while delivering the large sum of money. After being ordered to lie on the ground at gunpoint, he was robbed of the cash box and his own firearm.
Police subsequently arrested five suspects and reportedly seized ink-stained banknotes, firearms and ammunition. Only four have been charged, while the fifth man has turned state witness.
According to affidavits submitted in support of their bail application, Sibiya is currently employed as a KSA security guard and denied he had anything to do with the robbery.
Sibiya has a previous conviction for theft in 1996.
According to an affidavit by investigating officer, Warrant Officer Richard Mthalane, police recovered inked banknotes to the value of R40 000 in Sibiya’s home on his arrest.
Sibiya claimed the money was cash he collected from stokvel friends, and was not related to the robbery.
Sibiya has chosen not to disclose his defence at this stage, but confirmed he would be pleading not guilty to the charges.
The court also heard that Ngema has a previous conviction for robbery in 2008. He was sentenced to 15 years and served seven years of his term before being paroled in 2015.
Sibisi is a taxi owner.
Mthalane said he opposed bail due to the gravity of the offence and that cash heists in the province had become far too prevalent.
Other grounds included the safety of the fifth suspect turned State witness, and the fact that if convicted, the men faced lengthy jail terms. This, Mthalane said, was motivation for them to evade their trial.
Prosecutor Patti David argued the State had a strong case and said the evidence included the money and firearms found in their possession. These are being analysed by forensics to determine whether they are linked to the crime.
Legal representatives for the accused argued the State’s evidence against their clients was weak, and called for the section 204 witness to be placed in witness protection instead of infringing on their clients’ rights to liberty and freedom.
The defence said the accused all owned assets and had strong ties to the province and would not flee.
The case was postponed to March 16.
Daily News
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