A former cop turned mert from Mitchells Plain accused of leading a group of bandiete in Lentegeur will spend Christmas at home after being granted R1000 bail on Friday.
Penelope “Penny” Ventura, 37, who is the alleged mama of the Junior Cisco Yakkies (JCY) gang, returned to court on Friday where she was told her application had been approved along with one other accused.
The former cop was nabbed with 10 gang hitmen several weeks ago and faces 50 charges, including six murders, several attempted murders, the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and several charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
During the bail hearings, where seven of the accused and Ventura applied for bail, it was revealed she was shot and wounded twice, in 2018 and this year in Lentegeur, while her home was also
petrol-bombed.
She also resorted to using a false name to protect herself from rival gangs while in hospital after she was shot and left paralysed.
CO- ACCUSED: Penny Ventura faces 50 charges
Of the 10 skollies, only seven completed bail applications with many denying that they are gang members and initially refused to have their JCY tjappies photographed.
After being ordered by the magistrate to allow the pictures to be taken the group tried to flous police by claiming their JCY tjappies stood for Jelly, Custard and Yoghurt.
On Friday, Ventura and one other accused were granted R1000 bail, but were warned by the magistrate that they may not return to Mitchells Plain except for court appearances. The remaining five applications were denied.
The case was postponed to 21 January for further
investigations.