Two denied bail in child abduction case

The married couple were represented by an independent lawyer, while the other three were represented by a legal aid lawyer.

In her ruling, Magistrate Ambigabatha Kisten said she would deal with the accused separately.

Accused number one and two were refused bail because they might influence the complainant. “The complainant trusted you with such a precious thing to her, her child. We cannot ignore that this is a serious case, and if we grant you bail people will lose hope in the justice department and they might end up taking the law into their own hands,” she said.
Accused number one was also denied bail because of her previous convictions for fraud and theft.

Passing ruling on the married couple, the magistrate said it is very hard for the court to believe that they did not know what they were doing.

Last week the court needed a proper address for the married couple in order to pass the ruling, and there was an issue of the husband being a truck driver who travelled long distances.

The three were granted bail separately on condition that they do not communicate with the other accused or the complainant.

“You should not set foot in her house or her workplace, if she is employed. You should report to your nearest police station every Monday and Friday between 6am and 6pm. If you break any of those rules, the court will issue a letter for your arrest,” she said.

Tanya Sewpersad, the mother of the child who was abducted, said they are not happy about the court ruling as they wanted all of of the accused to not be granted bail.

“We are not sure what really happened, as the courtroom was full and we could not get a seat.”

She added that they were happy that they were reunited with their baby.

“The last four months were hell – we could not sleep or eat properly,” said Sewpersad.

Outside the courtroom Tshelimnyama residents protested last week Thursday, carrying placards saying ‘No bail’. William Msomi, who spoke on behalf of the community, said they were very concerned about child abductions. “We want these people to pay for what they did, and they should not be granted bail. The government should really look into human trafficking. What kind of person sells a human being?” said Msomi.