In an about-turn, the man accused of the rape of Gauteng businesswoman Andy Kawa abandoned his bid for bail on Monday.
The 48-year-old man, who cannot be named until he has pleaded to three counts of rape and one of robbery with aggravating circumstances, confirmed he no longer wished to continue with his formal bail application.
He was arrested in January after he was allegedly linked, through DNA, to the December 2010 rape of Kawa — who for more than 13 years fought to hold those accountable for alleged sloppy police work in bringing her assailants to book.
Her alleged rapist was arrested on January 30 while sleeping in a park in the Summerstrand area.
On Monday, the man appeared briefly in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court where his Legal Aid SA appointed lawyer confirmed that he no longer wished to continue with his bail application.
Thereafter, magistrate Dumisani Apollos commended the work of the investigating officer in the matter after it was confirmed that the state was already in possession of all the required documentation for the bail application to be heard.
Asked what was still outstanding, the man’s lawyer said a confirmation report of the linked DNA and the instruction from the deputy director of public prosecutions was all that was needed.
Kawa, 61, was abducted as she walked along the beachfront in Summerstrand on December 9 2010, was tied up and repeatedly raped over a 15-hour period.
The matter was postponed to March 27.
HeraldLIVE
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