R2,500 coin robbers granted R5,000 bail

Six of the seven men who include three police officers accused of a cash-in-transit heist that netted them coins worth R2,500 have been granted R5,000 bail each. 

Sgts Collen Nonyane, Sunday Peace Mashego and Bhekinkosi Stanley Godi were yesterday released on bail along with taxi driver Bhekifa Ngwenyama, mechanic Musa Vilakazi and Mfanasibili Lawrence Lubisi who works for the Mpumalanga department of agriculture.

One of the accused Ali Ibrahim, a Tanzanian, abandoned his bail application when all of them appeared at the Tonga magistrate’s court.

The men are facing charges of attempted murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, possession of suspected stolen property, possession of illegal firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of explosives and malicious damage to property. 

This follows a failed heist on August 11 on the R570 near Malelane in which a Fidelity Security cash van was ambushed after a Mercedes-Benz C-class rammed it and the occupants of car used explosives to force it to open.

According to investigating officer W/O Albert de Lange, the accused escaped in a Mercedes-Benz ML and Ford Ranger towards Buffelspruit.

At the time the police believed the van was carrying R8,000 but De Lange has since told the court that the correct amount is R2,500 and it was in coins. 

During his testimony opposing bail, De Lange said before the accused had a shoot-out with the police near Buffelspruit towards Schoemansdal, they left an AK-47 on the road and sped off to a safe house belonging to Lubisi.

Ngwenyama, Lubisi and Ibrahim were arrested on August 11 few hours after the crime while the officers, Nonyane, Mashego were arrested on August 17 and Godi handed himself to the police the next day.

Magistrate Mduduzi Nkosi said the accused have not yet been linked to the crime scene except for circumstantial evidence. He said the state had indicated that ballistics results were still under investigation.

“The testimony of the investigation officer is that they are accused of committing serious offences and said they would do whatever it takes as far as money is concerned. However, it is not for this court to speculate if they will evade justice or disturb the safety of the public or threaten witnesses.

“The court is not convinced. Accused 1 [Ngwenyama], 3 [Lubisi] and 4 [Vilakazi] have families and do not have previous convictions while accused 5 [Nonyane] and 6 [Mashego] have previous convictions of reckless and negligent driving but not connected to the case in this court. There were no reports if they tried to evade justice on their previous crime,” said Nkosi.

He said the trial court will be the one to prove if they are guilty or not, however, for now everyone was innocent until proven guilty.