Johannesburg - Two of the charges against Lolly Jackson’s alleged hitman have fallen away, prompting burning questions about whether his extradition may have been for reasons other than just his prosecution.
George Louca fled South Africa in 2010 after allegedly gunning down the strip king, but was extradited from Cyprus to face trial for a series of charges earlier this year.
According to the extradition application, Louca was meant to return to face charges of theft from an incident in 2006 during which he was believed to have been in possession of more than R1.5 million worth of brand-name takkies.
He was also charged with another theft from 2007, where he was allegedly found with products from various companies including Nestlé, worth R280 000.
Thirdly, he was meant to be charged with racketeering and money laundering during the period of July 2008 to December 2009.
The murder charge has already been escalated to the high court for trial in January next year, meaning the other three charges were set for the regional courts.
However, at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, it was revealed by State prosecutor Kaizer Mpepele that the racketeering and the second theft charge would be abandoned.
The Star