The case of six men detained in relation to the kidnapping and death of Luke Fleurs, a defender for Kaizer Chiefs, has been rescheduled for January 29.
The court’s continued waiting for the case docket from the Gauteng director of public prosecutions, who must determine whether the case will be heard in the high court, is the reason for the postponement.
On Wednesday, Ndumiso Ndura Moswane, 26, Fernando Nando Sive, 25, Nhlakanipho Dlamini, 21, Franky Xaba, 25, Maredi Mphahlele, 36, and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu, 31, made their 12th appearance at the Roodepoort magistrate’s court.
Although the court granted the prosecutors a postponement, it cautioned the state that this would be the final time it would do so.
Car hijacking syndicate
During the suspects’ last court appearance in September, the matter was postponed to November. The suspects remain in custody after they were denied bail in May.
They are facing charges of murder (accessory after the fact), robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice.
In April, two armed men shot and killed Fleurs during a hijacking. This incident took place at the Constantia service centre’s Shell petrol station in Florida, Roodepoort.
The suspects were arrested the same month in Slovoville, Soweto. Fleurs’ luxury VW Golf 8 GTI was also recovered in April.
Police believe that the six suspects are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings across Gauteng. The search for more suspects is ongoing.
During the suspects’ bail application in May, the court heard evidence from the investigating officer, detective sergeant Nare Benedict Moloto, who said the police did not have any evidence that placed the suspects at the scene where Fleurs was killed.
Suspects cannot be linked to Fleurs’ murder
Moloto said the police cannot directly link the suspects to the murder and hijacking of Fleurs, noting that he cannot convince the court that the suspects planned the murder and hijacking.
Moloto added that police obtained statements from the suspects, and they admitted to being in possession of Fleurs’ vehicle, which they planned to strip and sell its parts.
According to Moloto, the suspects claimed that they saw Fleurs’ car parked in front of someone’s yard for days when they decided to steal it.
The car keys were found in the possession of the suspects, according to Moloto. The suspects, however, denied that they killed Fleurs or stole his vehicle.
They informed the court that they could not be connected to the crimes they are accused of committing because the state’s case was weak.
