Cape Town - The murder of a Sea Point hotel manager in an alleged underworld murder plot is back in the spotlight following the arrest of Colin Booysen and five accused.
The 2016 shooting of Craig Mathieson, 44, who worked at the hotel owned by controversial businessman Mark Lifman, was highlighted as Booysen and two others proceeded with their bail hearings in the Bellville Regional Court yesterday.
Booysen, younger brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, was bust by the Hawks for the murders of Marwaan “Dinky” Desai, the alleged leader of the Nice Time Kids gang, and his henchman Shameem Mohammed in June 2017, as well as that of Joburg gang boss Mark “Bin Laden” Groenewald.
Booysen was arrested alongside Sillico Oliphant, Moegamat Faizel Abrahams, Herbert Zoutman, Prince Khumalo and John Edward Smith.
The group face over 20 charges for crimes including murder, racketeering and smuggling mandrax worth R1.8 million
During earlier court appearances, Zoutman, Khumalo and Smith were released on R10 000 bail as their release was not opposed by the State..
During the bail hearings yesterday, Booysen, the chairperson of the Delft, Belhar and Parow Taxi Association, told the court he was convicted of murder 19 years ago. The father of five also told the court he suffered from abdominal pain, which saw him being held in the hospital section of Goodwood Prison during his incarceration.
While details of the murder conviction were not clarified, he said he would pay any amount of bail money proposed by the court.
Meanwhile, in their affidavits, alleged henchmen Oliphant and Abrahams denied playing any role in the three murders and highlighted the death of Mathieson. The duo claimed that despite being tortured and charged for Matheison’s murder, the charges were later withdrawn.
They also told the court they were confident they would be acquitted of the current charges as they highlighted their personal circumstances related to the bail information.
Mathieson, the night manager of Hotel 303 in Sea Point, was shot and killed in November 2016.
Nothing was stolen from him or the hotel, leaving some to suspect he was the target of a hit.
Oliphant and Abrahams later appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on murder charges.
Addressing the court yesterday, State prosecutor Denise Greyling said they needed a postponement for the investigating team to probe the information supplied in the affidavits of the trio.
The case has been postponed to August 2.
mahira.duval@inl.co.za
Cape Argus