Cape Town – The man accused of murdering Irish charity worker John Curran wants to apply for bail, even though the Department of Home Affairs has no record of him.
The 24-year-old Mitspa Onyoka, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Monday after a postponement for further bail information, the Irish Independent reported.
Cleaner Onyoka, who is living in the country illegally, was arrested after a swoop at his place of work on November 23 after CCTV photographs were released by murder squad detectives.
Prosecutor Leon Snyman said: “The prosecuting officer has indicated that the accused is not welcome at the address he was living at when arrested.
“There are no outstanding warrants on him and no previous arrests but Home Affairs have no records of him being in this country after 2015. We are opposed to the release of the accused."
The court advised Onyoka that he had little chance of being granted bail but he insisted on being allowed to make an application to the court.
Magistrate Joe Magele granted the alleged killer permission and remanded him in custody until the application can be heard before him on January 23.
He was led down to the cells awaiting transportation to Pollsmoor Prison shaking his head.
Snyman said the investigating officer had gone to the address provided by Onyoka to verify it but had found out that the people living there did not want him staying there any more.
He was arrested in Voortrekker Road and charged with murder last month after detectives followed up on several leads.
Father-of-four Curran, 60, was murdered at a high-security complex in Buitengracht Street. The charity worker was found in a pool of blood and had open wounds on his head and face, police said at the time.
Curran had spent two years working in Cape Town as the director of education for Irish NGO Mellon Educate. It was his job to oversee the building of thousands of homes for the poor and the refurbishment and building of schools to educate children.
Curran’s contract ended in September and he had taken two months off to enjoy a “farewell holiday” before heading home.
But on November 7 he was found dead after a female friend let herself into his flat and found his mutilated body lying on the floor behind the door.