The six men arrested in connection with the hijacking and murder of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs have admitted to being in possession of the victim’s vehicle before stripping it and selling its parts.
Witnesses told police that they spotted the suspects driving around the Skoonplaas and Slovoville areas in a red VW Polo GTI matching the description of the victim’s vehicle.
A text message was found in accused number 4, Franky Xaba’s cellphone saying that if they get arrested, they should confess to the crime.
Fleurs was shot and robbed of his vehicle while at a filling station in Honeydew, Johannesburg last month.
The bail application of the six men has been delayed once again in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.
The case was postponed last week after the state asked for some time to verify certain aspects of the bail affidavits submitted by the accused.
Fleurs was shot and robbed of his vehicle while at a filling station in Honeydew, Johannesburg, last month.
The state has argued that the suspects have admitted to being in possession of the victim’s vehicle before stripping it and selling its parts.
Witnesses told police that they spotted the suspects driving around Slovoville and surrounding areas in a red VW Polo GTI matching the description of the victim’s vehicle.
The accused are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice.
“The witness identified three African males walking down the street and identified them as the suspects who were driving the car in and around the area,” says State prosecutor, Shadrack Temeki.
A text message was found in accused 4’s cell phone saying that if they are arrested, they should confess to the crime, because if they don’t, the sender’s names will come out and they will be arrested as well.
NPA Spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, says further investigations are necessary.
“Investigations are ongoing. We are trying to trace where that message came from. So, we cannot rule out the possibility of more people being added or the possibility of more charges being added. So, we will be guided by what the investigation will uncover,” she says.
Some relatives of the accused who attended the bail hearings expressed their frustrations over the postponement.
“We can see that our children are inside. What we are asking for is that they get bail, that is the only thing we are asking for. Because we do not have money to travel time to time. We are not working. As for me, I live by recycling and I only get they money after months. No one is working at home. So, I am pleading with the court to set bail at an affordable amount of at least a thousand rand,” says one relative.
“I am only asking for the court to grant bail to our children. They will not run away, since they have nowhere to go. They are our children, we love them. We don’t send them to commit crimes. We plead with the state not to oppose bail,” says another relative.
The case has been postponed to Tuesday next week for further police investigations.
