Alleged gang boss Jerome Booysen appears in pre-trial hearing related to running drug syndicate

CAPE TOWN - Alleged gang boss Jerome "Donkie" Booysen has appeared in a pre-trial hearing related to an alleged drug racket.

Booysen is accused of running a mandrax syndicate along with six others.

In a separate matter, he and 15 others also face charges related to the murder of "Steroid King" Brian Wainstein. 

Booysen and his co-accused made a brief in the Western Cape High Court on Friday morning where Judge Robert Henney lambasted the State for enrolling two trials involving the accused at the same time.

In the first matter, Booysen and six of his alleged henchmen are accused of running a mandrax syndicate between February 2013 and November 2017 in the Bellville area.

Booysen and 15 co-accused are also implicated the murder of UK businessman Wainstein, who was shot dead in his Constantia home in August 2017.

Henney postponed proceedings to the 25 April for the State to make an applicatiom for a separation of trial.

The judge does not want the two matters to be merged.