NELSPRUIT – The mastermind behind a hand-grenade attack is to appeal his two life sentences. Judge Ronel Tolmay had found Yegen Naidoo (44) guilty of conspiring to commit murder and the murder of Ms Patricia Pillay (53) and her granddaughter, Yetska (9) on May 20.
He received two life sentences. He also got eight years repectively for two attempted murder charges, and for possession of illegal explosives, seven years and for conspiring to commit murder, seven years. He is set to appear in the Circuit Pretoria High Court on January 20 to appeal the above sentencing.
The son of the deceased, Mr Kevin Pillay, said the family was confident that the law would take its course. Naidoo had ordered a hit on the family at their Valencia home two days before Christmas in 2006.
Daphney Pillay, Patricia’s daughter, had testified in the trial, stating that she was 16 years old at the time. She said it had been devastating to the family and she had been present at the time of the incident. She added that she had felt helpless and could not assist her mother.
Tolmay said, “Yegen Naidoo assisted the Khans for financial reasons only. He had no concern for the people whose lives he would irrevocably change forever.”
Mohamed Ismail Khan (43), who is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement, had previously testified against Naidoo in the trial.
Naidoo had conspired with Mohamed and Zamud Amid Khan (54), who is also serving a life sentence for the bombing.
Both the Khans were sentenced in 2010. Mohamed had since then written to, and requested the National Prosecuting Authority and government to punish him according to his religious beliefs by granting him the death penalty.
On June 7, 2011 Naidoo was tracked down and arrested by the police’s organised crime unit in Durban after a manhunt which lasted two years. He had believed the Pillays were harbouring Zamud’s girlfriend, who had run away from him.
