The bail application of eight people suspected of insurance fraud related killings of nine people has been adjourned to next Wednesday by the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo.
One of the defence lawyers, Mashudu Kwinda, told the court that the investigating officer, Captain Keshi Mabunda’s evidence should not be considered by the court.
Kwinda says that Mabunda’s credibility is questionable as he already has taken a position that the accused are guilty of all the charges. The eight accused are co-accused with alleged syndicate mastermind Rachel Kutumela, her sister Anna Shokane, and her daughter Florah Shokane.
Defence lawyer Mashudu Kwinda, who represents six of the accused, Thomas Shokane, William Shokane, Robert Shokane, Damaris Selepe, Benedictor Mataba, and Martha Ruiters, has challenged the credibility of the state’s evidence.
Kwinda told the court that investigating officer Captain Keshi Mabunda provided unreliable testimony. He argued that Mabunda misled the court when he testified that one of his clients, Robert Shokane, did not voluntarily hand himself over to police.
“The investigating officer told this court that I will come with a date to show that we went on a manhunt. Such never materialised, but we believe the trial is still in a correct stage to bring such evidence, but the court was made to believe that this evidence will come forth but it never did. It is clear that they never looked for him, it was just another way of him trying to mislead the court to believe that applicant number 11 was on a run though he voluntarily handed himself over.”
VIDEO | One of the appearances where the defence was arguing for bail:
Kwinda says investigating officer Mabunda did not adequately investigate information contained in William Shokane’s affidavit. Kwinda says Mabunda failed to verify claims that Shokane has farms and supplies produce to a local supermarket.
“When the investigating officer visited the particular place, it was on that operation that he spoke of where number 6 was arrested, and applicant number11 was not home. That is the operation where they went to the residence. He was not there to look for any farming activities, he was there to arrest, and he couldn’t have moved around the yard to look for any farming activities.”
During an engagement with Magistrate Mpho Hadebe, Kwinda argued that there is no evidence suggesting that his clients are likely to evade trial if released on bail.
” Your Worship.. there is no evidence which was left to suggest that because they will not be in custody, then they will think that when they are outside, no, now I can’t go back to that. There is no evidence that they are going to leave the country.”
Meanwhile, the first people to be arrested in the case, former police Sergeant Rachel Kutumela and her co-accused, sister, Anna Shokane and daughter, Flora Shokane have been in custody since 2024 after their application for bail was denied.
-Report by Nsuku Shiluvanan
