The two suspects who allegedly stole over $500,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020, will remain behind bars until their formal bail application on Friday.
Namibian nationals Imanuwela David, 39, and Froliana Joseph, 30, appeared before the Bela-Bela magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
They are facing two counts of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with an attempt to steal, one for theft and one for money laundering.
During court proceedings, it was discovered that Joseph has a one-year-old toddler who breastfeeds milk.
Presiding officer Predeshnie Ponnan ordered the baby to be taken to her mother, who is in police custody, three times a day so that the mother can feed the baby.
Speaking outside the court, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said Joseph had been an employee on the farm at the time of the robbery.
“Floriana was an employee in the farm, she was a cleaner but temporarily and had been working there for a while and she is the one who was familiar with the farm and it is alleged that she infected the other accused,” she said.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused had allegedly used the money to buy expensive cars and properties.
Phalaphala farmgate became a hot topic after former state security agency director Arthur Fraser opened a case against the president last year.
Fraser accused the president of concealing the crime from the South African Police Service and South African Revenue Service.
The recently appointed Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka cleared the president of any wrongdoing over the manner the theft was handled.
Meanwhile, the Section 89 panel that was appointed by parliament to investigate the president found that the president had a case to answer.
Namibian Phala Phala theft suspects to remain in custody
Froliana Joseph has a one-year-old toddler
The two suspects who allegedly stole over $500,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020, will remain behind bars until their formal bail application on Friday.
Namibian nationals Imanuwela David, 39, and Froliana Joseph, 30, appeared before the Bela-Bela magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
They are facing two counts of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with an attempt to steal, one for theft and one for money laundering.
During court proceedings, it was discovered that Joseph has a one-year-old toddler who breastfeeds milk.
Presiding officer Predeshnie Ponnan ordered the baby to be taken to her mother, who is in police custody, three times a day so that the mother can feed the baby.
Speaking outside the court, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said Joseph had been an employee on the farm at the time of the robbery.
“Floriana was an employee in the farm, she was a cleaner but temporarily and had been working there for a while and she is the one who was familiar with the farm and it is alleged that she infected the other accused,” she said.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused had allegedly used the money to buy expensive cars and properties.
Phalaphala farmgate became a hot topic after former state security agency director Arthur Fraser opened a case against the president last year.
Fraser accused the president of concealing the crime from the South African Police Service and South African Revenue Service.
The recently appointed Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka cleared the president of any wrongdoing over the manner the theft was handled.
Meanwhile, the Section 89 panel that was appointed by parliament to investigate the president found that the president had a case to answer.