Update: centralisation of court cases explained

After receiving many inquiries about the centralisation process of the case of fraud against the man who is accused of faking his own death and the Krugersdorp triple murders case, the News has decided to provide a detailed explanation of what this means.

The case against the man who is believed to have faked his own death to claim insurance money was initially opened in the Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court. But, as the burnt-out wreck of his vehicle, containing the body of a man, was found in the Free State in December 2015, Free State Police officers also opened a case to document the event. Initially, the police believed the body they had found was that of the owner of the vehicle. However, after the owner was found alive months after he was presumed to be dead, the Free State Police began to question the identity of the man who died in the vehicle, and opened a possible murder case against the owner. At the same time, the Krugersdorp Police were investigating a case of fraud against the vehicle owner as it was believed he’d faked his own death to claim insurance money.

The centralisation of the murder case opened in the Free State and the fraud case opened in Krugersdorp means both cases were transferred to the Krugersdorp Police.

On Monday, 3 October, the accused fraudster/ murderer appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court again, but this time he was not alone. Four other accused persons, who are being investigated for the murders of three people in Krugersdorp also appeared. These murders occurred in different locations, and the bodies of the victims were found in Krugersdorp and Randfontein.

The centralisation of this case with the Free State murder case and the Krugersdorp fraud case was also requested since there is a suspect common to all the cases. This came to light in one of the previous court appearances, when it was made public that one of the people accused in the triple murder case was believed to have been involved in the fraud case. This is allegedly the reason why the triple murder accused and the fraud accused appeared in court simultaneously on Monday, 3 October.

The accused in the triple murders case will reappear in the Roodepoort Regional Court on Thursday, 13 October, when the centralisation of all the cases will be finalised. This centralisation is being processed by the National Director of Public Prosecutions. There is a possibility that all the cases could be moved to the Palm Ridge High Court in Johannesburg.

Read more:

Victim points out stolen property

Update: Steyn siblings laugh in court

Husband arrested: blood on his hands

Hit-and-run suspect hands himself over