EASTERN CAPE – Fikile Msindwana (54), Camagu Zimela (47), Siphelo Mase (34), Siyabonga Mkhangeli (34) and Noveki Maqungeni (38) appeared in the East London Regional Court for charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of attempted murder and malicious injury to property on 18 May 2022 after their arrest by East London based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation on the same day.
It is alleged that between 2018 and 2019, the suspects were involved as a group in a number of business robberies, police killings and cash-in-transit heists in the Eastern Cape. Among the 12 cases in which the suspects are implicated, some of the dockets were still under investigation while three were already before Mdantsane Court. Zimela and Mase had already appeared for three cases on 13 May 2022 but were denied bail.
Today, 18 May 2022, the duo appeared again in the Mdantsane Regional Court for additional nine cases where they were joined in the dock by Msindwana, Mkhangeli and Maqungeni as alleged accomplices to the cases. They were also remanded in custody.
The matter was remanded to 1 July 2022 to finalise the investigations and handover the copies of the dockets thus set a trial date.
The Provincial Head Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya commended the team for the sterling job.