Cape Town - The so-called hit man in the case against UK fund manager Shumsheer Singh Ghumman could almost taste freedom when charges of perjury against him were withdrawn in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
But convicted robber Siyabulela Yalezo still has to show why his parole should be reinstated.
Correctional Services spokesman Simphiwe Xako confirmed that Yalezo was still in custody at Pollsmoor Prison and was expected to appear before the parole board on or before October 10. Xako said Yalezo’s case needed to be screened by the case-flow management committee, and supporting documentation had to be completed before he could be considered for parole.
Yalezo, 35, of Philippi, was the State’s key witness in the case against Ghumman. It was alleged that Ghumman offered Yalezo R10 000 to kill Philip Rhind, the father of the woman he was infatuated with, in January last year. But when Yalezo took the stand in the Cape Town Regional Court in August last year, he deviated from his sworn statements which explained his dealings with Ghumman. In his oral evidence, Yalezo denied that he said he had been offered money to kill Rhind and instead claimed that Ghumman had told him only about “problems” he had with Rhind.
The prosecution then brought an application to discredit Yalezo and his evidence was struck from the record. Minutes later, Yalezo was arrested for making a false statement under oath. At the time, Yalezo was out on parole for robbery. He spent 10 years in jail and was paroled in 2009.
However, his parole was revoked because one of the conditions was that he not commit further offences during the time he was on parole. It was due to end in 2015.
State prosecutor Carmen Daniels said the charge of perjury was withdrawn on September 7 on “humanitarian grounds”.
Yalezo’s lawyer, advocate Gilbert Jose, told the Cape Argus he made formal representations to the director of public prosecutions to have the charges withdrawn. Jose did not reveal the details of his representations, but said Yalezo had two children, aged four and one, and worked as a painter.
Meanwhile, Ghumman, who was convicted of fraud, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and malicious damage to property, was sentenced to an effective nine years.
He petitioned the Western Cape High Court, and last month Judge Anton Veldhuizen and Acting Judge Nape Dolamo gave him the go-ahead to appeal.
Cape Argus