The case of the six suspects arrested in connection with the hijacking and murder of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs has been postponed to August for further investigations. Also for the state to determine where the trial will be heard.
On Thursday, the suspects made their ninth appearance at the Roodepoort magistrate’s court. They are Ndumiso Ndura Moswane, 26, Fernando Nando Sive, 25 and Nhlakanipho Dlamini, 21. Franky Xaba, 25, Maredi Mphahlele, 36, and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu, 31.
During court proceedings on Thursday, state prosecutor Arnold Limekhaya said police have not completed their investigations.
Limekhaya asked magistrate Marleen Nair to postpone the matter for the police to complete their investigations. Also for the director of public prosecutions (DPP) to determine the forum or court where the trial will take place.
Police still in process of probing cellphone data
He said police still need to make a section 205 application to access information on the suspects’ seized cellphones. Police are still searching for the white BMW 1 Series which was allegedly driven by the murderers from the crime scene. They are still looking for the firearm used to kill Fleurs; and are still awaiting the postmortem results.
Defence lawyer for the accused, Shibu Molefe, did not oppose the request by Limekhaya.
Nair postponed the matter to August 16 for further police investigations and for the DPP to determine where the trial will take place.
The suspects remain in police custody.
Case postponed to August 16
While walking back to the holding cells, the suspects waved and blew kisses to their family members and friends who were present in the courtroom gallery.
During their last court appearance in May, the six suspects were denied bail.
The suspects are facing charges of murder (accessory after the fact), robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice.
Fleurs was shot and killed in April by two armed men during a hijacking. This happened at the Shell petrol station at the Constantia service centre in Florida, Roodepoort, in Johannesburg.
Hijacking syndicate
The six suspects were arrested in Slovoville, Soweto in April.
Police said Fleurs’ luxury red VW Golf 8 GTI vehicle was recovered in April.
The six suspects are believed to be part of a syndicate that is responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng. Police said the search for more suspects is continuing.
