Kidnapping-accused Ethiopian man to apply for bail

An Ethiopian man facing twelve counts of kidnapping is expected to appear before the Booysens Magistrates Court in Johannesburg for a bail application.

The 47-year-old was nabbed last Thursday in Mulbarton, south of the city, after a high-speed chase with police.

Officers had intelligence that he was harbouring a group of men, who did not speak English.

When the group of men, aged between 22 and 33, were found, they were half naked.

The Hawks said that they cannot rule out the possibility that the suspect could be part of a human trafficking ring.

At his previous court appearance, there was no interpreter who could speak Amharic, so the magistrates postponed the matter, saying it would be a miscarriage of justice if they proceeded with the accused not fully understanding English.

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