Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
24 November 2023
The Louw’s Periodical Court has granted bail to an alleged human trafficker, Sibusiso Malwane (33), from Nkomazi in Block C.
This is after Malwane was arrested by the Flying Squad Unit on R38, Barberton Road, on Monday, 13 November 2023.
They stopped the white quantum, driven by the accused with dark windows, and found 23 illegal immigrants in a fifteen-seater quantum; among the occupants were 14 Pakistani nationals, two minors and nine Bangladeshi nationals.
When inspecting a vehicle, the police further discovered that the vehicle was custom-made to accommodate the potential victims.
In that quantum, only the seat behind the driver and the back seat were intact, and the middle seats were removed. The accused was subsequently arrested and remanded in custody.
During the bail application, which the state opposed, both parties argued, and the court found that there were exceptional circumstances that permitted the accused to be released on bail.
The accused was granted bail of R3000 on the following conditions: The accused must surrender his passport to the investigating officer before paying bail.
The accused report to the Tonga police station twice a week, between 06h00 and 18h00.
The accused inform the investigating officer when leaving Mpumalanga Province.
The accused attend court until the matter is finalized, and he must not commit any offences while on bail.
The case against the accused was postponed to 15 February 2024 for further investigations in the same court.
