Durban - Seven men, charged with a brazen cash-in-transit robbery of nearly R4 million in Greytown, pleaded not guilty to a plethora of charges on Tuesday.
Ayanda Sishi, 32, Sphezela Ntuli, 30, Basopha Ntuli, 27, Shelezile Mahlaba, 39, Mjabuliseni Ntuli, 33, Siphiwe Khuzwayo, 35, and Myekeni Buthelezi, 26, pleaded not guilty to charges of theft of a motor vehicle, robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of attempted murder, malicious damage to property and the unlawful possession of semi-automatic firearms and ammunition.
The indictment before the Pietermaritzburg High Court alleges that the men conspired to commit the cash-in-transit heist after months of planning.
Eventually they settled on robbing the security vehicles which were to collect cash from the Greytown branch of Absa bank.
In June 2013, for use in the robbery and to facilitate their escape, the men allegedly stole a Toyota Fortuner from Michelle McNamara in the Greytown area.
Five months later, they decided to carry out their plan. On November 7, 2013, the armoured vehicle arrived at Absa Bank. As the security guards were moving money from the bank into the vehicle, the robbers waylaid and overpowered the guards.
During the course of the robbery, a shootout between the guards and the robbers ensued. Members of the public were caught in the crossfire, but fortunately no one was injured.
However, 11 vehicles parked in the vicinity were riddled with bullet-holes.
The robbers escaped in the stolen vehicle with R3 986 000.
Following police investigations, the seven were arrested on February 16 and firearms were recovered.
While some of the accused have elected to remain silent at this stage and not disclose the nature of their defence, others maintain a bare denial to the charges against them.
The trial is proceeding.
Daily News