Two cash-in-transit robbers gets 258 years in prison

Two cash-in-transit robbers were sentenced to a combined 258 years in prison in the Polokwane High Court on Wednesday.

According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke, between September and October 2017, Boitumelo Daniel Aphane, 34, and Solly Solomon Monama, 38, committed a series of cash-in-transit robberies in Polokwane, Seshego, Mankweng and Ritavi.

A dedicated team comprising members of the Polokwane Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit of the Hawks and the Provincial Organised Crime Unit was assembled to track down the robbers.

During the investigation, the team received a tip-off about the robbers’ hideout, Maluleke said.

Aphane was arrested in Dennilton while Monama was arrested in Hammanskraal in September 2018.

The team recovered R250 000 in cash and an AK-47 rifle during their arrest.

Aphane and Monama were not granted bail after their arrest and were in custody until they were convicted and sentenced.

Aphane, who is currently serving 25 years’ imprisonment for a similar offence, was found guilty on 24 counts and sentenced to 192 years’ imprisonment.

This included 20 years’ imprisonment for each of five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances; five years for each of 11 counts of the unlawful possession of a firearm; three years for each of four counts of the unlawful possession of ammunition; eight years for each of three counts of the unlawful possession of explosives; and 12 months for pointing a firearm.

“All the sentences are to run concurrently,” Maluleke said.

“The court also ordered that the accused concurrently serve these sentences with the current sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment,” he added.

Monama was found guilty on eight counts and sentenced to a total of 66 years’ imprisonment.

He got 20 years’ imprisonment for each of two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances; unlawful possession of a firearm, found guilty on four counts and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count; unlawful possession of ammunition, found guilty on two counts and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on each count.

The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently as well.

Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya commended the investigation and prosecution team.

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