The four men accused of kidnapping the daughter of a prominent Pinetown-based man now face four additional charges. These are robbery, extortion, attempted murder and being in the country without a valid permit.
Sandra Moonsamy was rescued on Thursday last week from a house in Mpumalanga after being kidnapped for six months. The accused were demanding a R140 million ransom for her release.
Hawks Spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi says two of the suspects are from a neighbouring country while the nationality of the other two is yet to be confirmed.
The media was not allowed during Monday’s proceedings in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
The court has ordered that the media be allowed during the next proceedings but that the identities of the accused not be made public.
“Critical to us, we want to make sure that we are given enough time to be able to bring a proper charges sheet, of course working close with the NPA. So, as you would recall, we did mention the fact that it’s a very sensitive case and we have also made it an order of court that their names, addresses are not published until such time where we feel comfortable with that. But so far, things are moving swiftly. The team is working closely with the NPA and I’m sure when the time is right, we will be able to give more details after this case,” says Mulaudzi.
Meanwhile, investigating officer Gobz Govender says Moonsamy is in a stable condition.
“It’s safe to say that Sandra is in good care. She is being taken well care of. Right now, we can give an indication that yes, it’s a big improvement from the time of rescue to the current period. So, she’s definitely in good care and improving very much as we talk. It’s clear that the family they are happy like anyone. They appreciate the rescue of Sandra Moonsamy.”
