The Pretoria high court has ordered the forfeiture of the R60,000 bail paid by illegal mining kingpin Bethuel Ngobeni, after he failed to appear for trial in February.
Ngobeni, a central figure in a multimillion-rand illicit gold enterprise in Carletonville and Khutsong, is on the run.
On Wednesday, state advocate Nqobile Maphalala applied for Ngobeni’s bail to be forfeited as his whereabouts are unknown. Maphalala told the court that the state had informed Ngobeni’s legal team about the application, but that they had ignored the state’s requests on previous occasions.
Judge Portia Phahlane ordered the money to be forfeited to the state.
Ngobeni was released on bail in October 2023 by magistrate Tebogo Tlhapi Thupaatlase at the Oberholzer magistrate’s court in Carletonville. The state later approached the Pretoria high court to have his bail revoked.
In November 2024, Pretoria high court Judge Mokhine Mosopa revoked Ngobeni’s bail, stating: “It is my considered view that [...] Thupaatlase misdirected himself when releasing [Ngobeni] on bail and ignored evidence before him.”
The matter is expected to resume on August 4 for trial.
SowetanLIVE
Illegal gold mining 'kingpin', Bethuel Ngobeni, forfeits R60,000 bail to state
Bethuel Ngobeni is on the run after missing a court appearance earlier this year
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
The Pretoria high court has ordered the forfeiture of the R60,000 bail paid by illegal mining kingpin Bethuel Ngobeni, after he failed to appear for trial in February.
Ngobeni, a central figure in a multimillion-rand illicit gold enterprise in Carletonville and Khutsong, is on the run.
On Wednesday, state advocate Nqobile Maphalala applied for Ngobeni’s bail to be forfeited as his whereabouts are unknown. Maphalala told the court that the state had informed Ngobeni’s legal team about the application, but that they had ignored the state’s requests on previous occasions.
Judge Portia Phahlane ordered the money to be forfeited to the state.
Ngobeni was released on bail in October 2023 by magistrate Tebogo Tlhapi Thupaatlase at the Oberholzer magistrate’s court in Carletonville. The state later approached the Pretoria high court to have his bail revoked.
In November 2024, Pretoria high court Judge Mokhine Mosopa revoked Ngobeni’s bail, stating: “It is my considered view that [...] Thupaatlase misdirected himself when releasing [Ngobeni] on bail and ignored evidence before him.”
The matter is expected to resume on August 4 for trial.
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