One of the men accused of killing a popular Mitchells Plain mechanic and then hiding his body in the boot of his car has been granted bail of R6 000.
Ridhaa Sasman’s half-naked body was found tied up in the boot of his Renault Megane in Morgan Village on June 25, three days after he went missing.
According to family members, Ridhaa, 30, went to drop off one of his workers on the night he disappeared.
When the father of three didn’t return home within an hour, his family got worried and started asking around.
They later got a lead when skarrelkatte tried to sell them Ridhaa’s takkies.
The trail led them back to the accused, Marwaan Martin and Gaarieth Galant’s house, where the grim discovery was made in their front yard.
Ridhaa had been stabbed and strangled to death.
During earlier court proceedings, Martin informed the court that he would not be applying for bail, while Galant went ahead with his application through his lawyer Raymond Davies.
Davies stated that his client is the sole breadwinner for his three children, that he had an alternative address outside of Mitchells Plain, that he wouldn’t interfere with the witnesses, was not a flight risk, and that he did not have previous convictions or outstanding warrants.
On Monday, the magistrate said that while the court took into account that the offence is serious and the State does have a strong case, it found that the accused’s circumstances were “exceptional” and therefore made him eligible for bail.
Galant was granted bail of R6 000, on condition that he doesn’t step foot in Mitchells Plain, unless for court, and that he not have any contact with witnesses.
Upon hearing this, Ridhaa’s family could be heard exclaiming in shock.
Yesterday, for the first time, his heartbroken mother Rashieda Petersen broke her silence about her son’s murder.
“You know what hurts the most? It’s the fact that he [Galant] stood there saying that he needed to provide for his children, while our breadwinner was also taken away.
“Ridhaa’s son will be celebrating his eighth birthday on Sunday and for the first time in seven years, his daddy won't be around to make his day special,” the hartseer mother said.
“Now I have to make a way to at least get him a cake, while his daddy’s alleged killer will be walking outside and spending time with his children.”
The case was postponed October 7 for further investigation.