Phala Phala robbery accused back in court in May

The presiding officer in the Phala Phala trial said that one of the accused still needs to answer how he came into a large sum of US currency.

On Friday in the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo, Magistrate Peter Manthata dismissed an application by the three accused in the matter to have the charges against them dropped.

Imanuwela David is charged alongside siblings Froliana and Ndilinasho Joseph with several counts of housebreaking, theft and money laundering. 

ts alleged in February 2020 that they broke into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm and stole 580,000  US dollars in cash.

Following the burglary accused number one went on a cross country shopping spree.

He purchased a fleet of luxury cars, properties, a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch and grills

Some of the service providers who were brought to testify in the trial said he paid in US currency. They also testified that David told them he got the money shipping mercury to Namibia.

While handing down his ruling Manthata said that many questions still remain unanswered.

The trial resumes on the 25 May with the defence expected to call their first witness.