Court postpones Phala Phala burglary case to next year

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo has postponed the case of the burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm to 23 February next year.

On Friday, the court denied bail to the alleged mastermind of the burglary, Imanuwela David.

His two co-accused were granted bail last month.

The trio are facing charges of housebreaking and theft of over $580 000 US from the farm in February 2020.

David is facing an additional charge of money laundering.

Delivering judgment in David’s bail application yesterday, Magistrate Predeshni Ponnan said that the accused had failed to give the court his residential address.

“Accused number one has no fixed address that could be verified with certainty. He further misled this Court regarding ownership of any movable or immovable property. There is a strong possibility that accused number one should he be released on bail, may tamper with or interfere with the investigation or the state witnesses, or destroy or conceal any evidence against him. It is very clear that accused number one has not satisfied this court that the interest of justice permit him to be released from custody. Bail is accordingly denied.”

Court hears explosive evidence during bail application in Phala Phala case: