Durban - Durban businessman Gareth Brissett, who owns the Westville home where police allegedly found 325kg of ecstasy in powdered form, has denied any wrongdoing and will plead not guilty to the charges.
Brissett, 40, was granted bail of R500 000 and his co-accused, John Maphumulo and Sakhile Dlamini, obtained bail of R50 000 each in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The three were arrested after police raided the Konigkramer Avenue residence last month.
They are charged with dealing in ecstasy or alternatively possession of the drug, and the State has alleged that Brissett was in charge of the operation and Maphumulo and Dlamini assisted him.
The State had initially indicated it would oppose bail, but on Monday State advocate Kogie Ramkilawon said they had withdrawn their opposition.
She said the accused would have to show that it was in the interests of justice to release them.
In his affidavit handed in to the court, Brissett, who is part owner of the popular bars Keys on Florida Road and Keys on Davenport Road, said the drugs were found in an outbuilding and he denied being in unlawful possession of the drugs or dealing in them.
Police said the raid at the Westville home was linked to the arrest of Brissett’s business partner Greg Ayres, who is also a part-owner of the bars, and Bulgarian national Valari Nikolov on the N4 highway in Mpumalanga on November 4.
Police stopped Ayres and Nikolov in a delivery vehicle while they were en route to Durban and allegedly found them in possession of 600 000 ecstasy tablets with an estimated street value of R85 million.
In his affidavit, Brissett said he did not have any previous convictions related to drug offences, but had been convicted of culpable homicide in 2011 and received a wholly suspended sentence.
He said he had co-operated fully during the police’s search of his home and believed they were in possession of all the evidence they required in the case.
“The police also seized R790 000 during the search and I have an interest in the money and will not forfeit it by evading my trial.
“I will account for the money during the trial.”
He also said that he and Ayres jointly owned a construction company, which was not operating, and a Morningside plot which they wanted to develop.
In their affidavits, Dlamini and Maphumulo said they worked for Brissett as cleaners and general assistants.
They denied any knowledge of the drugs.
All three men, who were represented by attorney Ridewaan Sayed and advocate Jimmy Howse, said they would abide by the court’s bail conditions.
They were warned not to interfere with the police’s investigation or with witnesses.
They have to report to the Westville police station three times a week and were warned not to leave KwaZulu-Natal without the written consent of the investigating officer.
Ayres and Nikolov, who are in custody, will appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga later this month.
The Mercury