One of the two men who pretended to be policemen before kidnapping 30-year-old Tumisang Mokgatle has been denied bail in Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court.
Thabang Mokoena, who was arrested when Mokgatle was rescued, faces charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, possession of a dangerous weapon, and extortion.
His accomplice was still on the run.
Mokoena is facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, possession of a dangerous weapon, and extortion.
Last month on 14 September the 23-year-old accused and his accomplice accosted Mokgathle after she dropped her child at a crèche in Wespark, Pretoria West.
The pair claimed to be members of the SA Police Service Tracing Unit.
They claimed that a car similar to Mokgatle’s Polo Vivo motor vehicle had been used in various robberies in the area.
Mokoena and his accomplice then told Mokgatle that they were taking her VW Polo Vivo to Hartbeespoort Police station for verification.
One of them drove her car. Along the way they stopped and tied Mokgatle before shoving her into the boot.
They later dumped her Polo Vivo motor vehicle at Hartbeespoort Dam. Police found the abandoned car.
It is alleged that Mokoena and his accomplice called Mokgathles brother, a practicing attorney in Pretoria, demanding a ransom of half a million rand.
A day after the kidnapping, police acted on information that Mokgatle was being held at Kgabalatsane in the North-West Province.
The police found Mokgatle, who was still bound, at a house in Kgabalatsane.
They arrested Mokoena and recovered a toy gun.
On Tuesday, the state argued during the bail application that the court should not grant Mokoena bail because of the seriousness of the charges he faces.
The state also pointed to the fact that the other suspect was still on the run.
Mokoena did not testify in support of his bail application.
The court ruled that Mokoena failed to prove that exceptional circumstances exist for him to be released on bail.
The accused’s bail request was turned down and his matter was postponed to Wednesday next week.
