Convicted Colonel to finally serve jail sentence

Published Oct 16, 2013

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Johannesburg - A military colonel who committed an armed robbery at a police station in the Eastern Cape 18 years ago will finally serve his jail sentence for the first time, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

A warrant was issued on Monday for the arrest of Colonel Nceba Patrick Bobelo.

His appeal against his prison sentence failed in 2001, but neither the army nor the justice department were able to explain why Bobelo, commander of the military's Joint Tactical Headquarters in Mpumalanga, has avoided jail until now.

In 1995, he was one of four defendants convicted after a robbery at a police station in the Eastern Cape, during which two policemen were attacked and several firearms were looted.

The four were all sentenced to 12 years in prison, of which three years were conditionally suspended.

One of the four appealed successfully in 2001, but Bobelo and the other two were ordered to start serving their jail terms immediately.

But Bobelo spent the next 12 years being advanced to the rank of colonel.

Following a Beeld report two months ago on Bobelo's involvement in the robbery, the National Prosecuting Authority in the Eastern Cape received a query from the SA National Defence Force to find out why Bobelo had not served his sentence, and the warrant for his arrest was issued. - Sapa

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