Imanuwela David and Froliana Joseph in the dock. Picture: X/@Am_Blujay
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it has sufficient evidence to link three suspects to a burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm, as their bail bid was postponed to next week.
Two suspects were previously arrested in connection with the robbery at the president’s farm in Limpopo, with a third handing himself over to police in Bela Bela.
The three appeared in the Bela Bela district court on Friday on charges of theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, money laundering and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Arguing for bail, the suspects said they had commitments, including children to care for, and could only afford R2,000 bail.
The matter was postponed to Friday, 17 November to reportedly allow the judge to apply her mind to submissions made.
Imanuwela David and Froliana Joseph, who were arrested earlier this week, made their second appearance in court. NPA Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi told The Citizen, the third suspect is 27-year-old Ndilinasho David Joseph, the brother of Froliana, a former employee at the game farm.
“We’ve got sufficient evidence to link the suspects to the burglary,” Malabi-Dzhangi added.
ALSO READ: Third suspect in Phala Phala Farm theft case to appear in court on Friday
Speaking to the media before court proceedings got underway, Malabi-Dzhangi said they would not be opposing bail for Froliana Joseph, because during court proceedings it was discovered she had a one-year-old baby who requires breastfeeding.
“We were supposed to proceed with the bail hearing. We’ll find out if all of them have legal representatives. For some of the accused, we are going to oppose the bail, but for the mother of the child we will not oppose the bail for her.
“The investigation is still continuing,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
The trio are accused of stealing $580 000 (about R10.6 million at the time) from Ramaphosa‘s game farm in February 2020.
The theft came to light when former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser opened a case of kidnapping and money laundering against Ramaphosa, the head of the Presidential Protection Services Major-General Wally Rhoode and Crime Intelligence.
They were accused of concealing the robbery.
Among the allegations was that the president paid off suspects who stole millions in foreign currency that was stashed in the furniture on the farmhouse, in exchange for their silence.
Fraser said the president did not just cover up the incident, he also violated several foreign currency and tax evasion laws by hiding a large stash of cash in the furniture.
The former spy boss further claimed the suspects who broke into the president’s property were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid off to keep silent.
However, the recently appointed Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing over the manner the theft was handled with opposition parties rejecting her decision.
ALSO READ: Phala Phala: Two suspects appear in court – Here’s what we know about them
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