Six of the nine suspects linked to the kidnapping of 62-year-old Bay woman Tracey Fourie claimed in court they had been assaulted by police — yet none bore any visible injuries.
The group, arrested by the Hawks on August 25 as part of a wider crackdown on kidnappings for ransom, made their first appearance in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court on Monday.
The Hawks have also since praised the Fourie family for their close co-operation during the investigation, saying their swift assistance and willingness to share crucial details had played a pivotal role in the success of the arrests.
Mthetho Ntleko, 46, Mzameni Matyunza, 51, Malibongwe Dayile, 33, Nyaniso Sabundla, 51, Aviwe Twatwa, 26, and Tamsanka Matlabe, 24, were allegedly caught with the ransom money in their possession.
They face charges of kidnapping, trafficking in persons, extortion, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and possession of a prohibited signal-blocking device.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Avele Fumba told The Herald that the investigation in relation to the other three suspects was continuing.
Further details around Fourie’s terrifying ordeal have also since emerged.
According to National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Fourie was abducted on August 20 from student accommodation in Sydenham.
She was transported in a vehicle to Kariega and then on to another undisclosed location, where she was held captive in a confined room.
She was released on August 25, after her partner paid a ransom of R200,000, though the kidnappers had initially demanded R5m.
While traumatised, she was physically unharmed and was reunited with her family.
Some time later, law enforcement officers in Newton Park recovered a multi-band signal-blocking device (radio jammer) in the possession of one of the accused.
“This device, capable of disrupting radio communications, is prohibited under SA telecommunications regulations,” Tyali said.
Further investigations in Motherwell on the same day led to the recovery of a .38 Special revolver and a box of live cartridges.
“None of the accused had valid licences or authorisations to possess these firearms or ammunition, which is in contravention of the Firearms Control Act.”
Tyali said some of the accused also had chequered pasts.
Dayile was convicted of rape in 2016 and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, Sabundla was convicted of robbery in 1991 and sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment, and Twatwa had a pending case before the Kariega magistrate’s court for possession of suspected stolen property.
In court, the accused appeared relaxed and at times whispered among themselves.
They then all claimed to have been assaulted by the police during their arrests, to which state prosecutor Dail Andrews responded that they did not show any physical injuries.
Andrews, however, submitted that they would need to be sent to a district surgeon for an examination.
Asked about the assault allegations, Fumba said they did not have any knowledge of an assault, but that was for the court to decide.
He said the information on the remaining suspects could not be divulged at this stage.
“We believe that they do have a case to answer to.
“Remember, we are following guidelines and every piece of information we gather, we need to make sure is admissible in a court of law.”
With the latest arrests, Fumba said they believed they had “turned a new page” in their attempts to deal with the kidnapping scourge.
“We call on the public, those who might have information, or have even seen these incidents unfold, to report it to the police.
“This case was a success because of good co-operation from the family of the victim.
“They didn’t rush to social media to share the victim’s identity, which also assists us on our side in terms of handling the case.
“We’d like to call on people not to report cases on social media but rather to come to the police because it also delays our investigations.”
Fumba said the arrest was an integrated team approach involving different units including Crime Intelligence, the Tactical Response Team, local Criminal Record Centre and Magma Security and Investigations.
Magistrate Vuyo Tshiki postponed the case to Wednesday for a date for a formal bail application to be arranged.
All accused remain in custody.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.