Johannesburg - When former Bafana Bafana player Lebohang Morula was arrested with nine other men during a botched hijacking of a cigarette truck this week, he was found to have violated his bail conditions for two other crimes: a foiled cash-in-transit heist in Ogies, Mpumalanga, and an attempted murder.
Of the 10 accused, only Morula and two others appeared briefly in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Police spokesman Kay Makhubela said the cases against the other seven were not placed on the roll because investigations against them were continuing, to establish links with the botched hijacking.
Morula, 46, Sizabantu Mugade and Obert Siphagu face charges of illegal possession of a network jammer, impersonating Ekhuruleni Metro Police officers and violating bail conditions.
Magistrate Hans Havenga remanded them to April 20.
“We are happy they are in custody,” said Makhubela.
“Charges of conspiring to commit robbery are being investigated.
“As soon as we gather enough evidence, the 10 men will be tried together.”
Makhubela said the police would oppose bail for those who were repeat offenders.
Morula is to appear in court next month and in June on the attempted murder and cash-in-transit heist charges.
Since his soccer career ended, according to the Daily Sun, Morula has been arrested repeatedly, but not convicted.
He was arrested in connection with the hijacking of a couple in a Mazda 3 in Hermanstad, Pretoria, in October 2008. He and his accomplices are alleged to have forced the couple to withdraw R3 000 from an ATM.
He is alleged to have stolen R500 000 in generators from a Pretoria factory and hijacked a truck in Midrand in 2010. The truck was found in a storage facility rented in his name in Ga-Rankuwa. In October, he was arrested when a bakkie stolen from Nissan in Rosslyn was found in his possession.
Saturday Star