Abira case postponed
|Published
The trial of the group of men accused of snatching little Abira Dekhta and threatening to sell her on the dark web has been put on hold until next week due to problems with their legal representation.
After months of postponements, four of the six men from Khayelitsha have opted for Legal Aid lawyers to represent them in one of the biggest kidnapping trials in Cape Town.
The nine-year-old girl was abducted while sitting in her school transport vehicle parked at Amber Court in Gatesville on November 4 last year.
After the kidnapping took place, her school bag could still be seen on the front seat of the vehicle.
According to the State’s case, five men using two vehicles had followed her driver and sped off with her in a white Nissan bakkie.
More than a week later, cops called her father, Aslam, and informed him that they had found the meisie in a shack in Khayelitsha following a tip-off.
The men now face multiple charges including robbery, kidnapping, attempted extortion and human trafficking, among others.
During court proceedings, accused Mawande Jobovu, Sonwabo Malumbozo, Kwanele Jilaji, Luxolo Mosiza, Sithembiso Qwaka and Adiore Magura all abandoned their bail applications due to ongoing issues with their legal representation.
They made their first appearance in the Wynberg Regional Court yesterday, where it was revealed that Mosiza and Qwaka would be appointing private lawyers and the case was postponed to October 2 for the lawyers to be appointed.