Durban — After delays spanning eight months, the trial of a man and his co-accused, who he allegedly recruited to kidnap his neighbour’s 11-year-old child for R1 million ransom, will get under way in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court in the coming days.
The trial was set to start in January, however, it had to be adjourned due to legal representation issues.
There have been other delays coupled with the fact that the trial dates had to be set around the school calendar to accommodate the child witness.
The child’s mother paid R90 000 ransom to his alleged kidnappers, including his neighbour, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the crime.
Lindokuhle Mthokozisi Thabede, 29, Mvelo Khuzwayo, 29, Fisokuhle Mathews Mbatha, 32, and the 40-year-old neighbour of the child are alleged to have kidnapped the boy at gunpoint and kept him at a house and demanded a ransom of R1m from the child’s mother.
The child’s neighbour cannot be named to protect the minor’s identity.
The trial is set to be heard towards the end of the month and the State is expected to call nine witnesses, including the child.
The State is also armed with cellphone evidence in the form of records linking the accused; three photo albums, one of the first crime scene and another of where the child was kept; an identity parade album; as well as forensic evidence in the form of fingerprints.
The accused are alleged to have kidnapped the child as he was being transported to school, the vehicle was not far from his home when he was snatched along with his driver.
After the child was kidnapped, his mother contacted the police and the ransom was given to the accused under surveillance by police.
The child was kept in a certain house from the morning of that day until being rescued by police after one of the accused volunteered information about the child’s location.
This came after police intercepted the vehicle that the accused had been travelling in.
The ransom money was recovered in the home of one of the accused, the neighbour was the last accused to be arrested after being linked by cellphone evidence.
Thabede, Khuzwayo and Mbatha remain in custody as they were denied bail while the neighbour is currently out on bail.
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Daily News