The bail hearing of the remaining seven accused in the VIP Protection Unit assault case continued Wednesday, following a dramatic day where the defence blasted the State’s fruitless claims of threatening SMSs allegedly sent to intimidate a key witness.
VIP Protection Unit bail hearing: Defence blasts State’s claims of ‘threatening’ SMSs
The accused, Shadrack Kojoana, Johannes Mampuru, Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Ramokhonami, Phineas Boshielo, Churchill Mkhize, Aggrie Rambau, and Moses Tshidada, face multiple charges, including assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and pointing of a firearm.
The case, heard at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, centres around an alleged incident on the N1 highway near Fourways earlier in July 2023
The Witness’s Fearful Testimony
During Tuesday’s bail hearing, the state presented the testimony of a witness who claimed to have received a threatening SMS related to the incident.
The witness, one of the first recipients of the video recording before it went viral, expressed fear for his life and that of his family. The state argued that the origins of the message were under investigation and suggested that it was sent using a “burner phone” to conceal the sender’s identity.
Defence Disputes Involvement in Threatening SMS
In response to the state’s claims, lawyers representing accused two to four, Xabiso Sotshangaye, and accused five to eight, Fanie Kabini, vehemently denied any knowledge of the alleged message or the sender.
They challenged the state’s assertion that only the accused or someone close to them could have sent the message, arguing that they have no connection to it and that it remains under investigation.
“The state alleges that no one but the accused had the motive to send this message; I submit that I have no knowledge of the said message or the sender. It’s also the state’s evidence that attempts to establish the sender of the message have been unsuccessful…I therefore respectfully submit that I can’t be kept in custody for a matter that is still under investigation,” the defence stated.
Calls for Court Protection
Phindi Mjonondwane, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed that the state opposed bail for the accused based on the alleged threats.
Mjonondwane emphasised the importance of providing necessary protection to the witness and, therefore, requested that the court deny bail to the accused during the ongoing investigation.
The VIP Protection Unit bail hearing was ongoing when this article was published.