A facebook profile picture of William Mbatha posing with a stolen Asus Lamborghini laptop caused delays in the blue light gang trial on Thursday morning, with the “king of bling” insisting that the picture in the State’s possession was doctored.
In a newspaper clip used as an exhibit in the Johannesburg High Court, Mbatha is shown posing next to a yellow laptop which was allegedly stolen during an armed robbery at businessman Ismail Yacoob Omar in April 2009.
State Advocate Elize le Roux wanted Mbatha to explain how he could have been in possession of a laptop stolen from a man who identified him as his attacker.
But Mbatha, who is on trial on 24 charges of aggravated robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and impersonating a police officer maintained the picture was doctored.
He insisted the white Asus Lamborghini laptop he owned was doctored to make it appear to be white.
Asked if there was anybody else who had access to his facebook profile, Mbatha said no.
This prompted Le Roux to request a postponement as she wanted to conduct further investigations in relation to the newspaper clip depicting Mbatha with a yellow laptop.
When testifying in court, Omar identified Mbatha as the man who had issued out instructions to two other men who had blocked his car with a silver BMW sounding a siren and flashing a blue light. The armed men, who were wearing police reflector vests and caps had instructed him to take them to his Meyersdal home, after telling him they knew he had three children and drove an Audi Q7. Omar was driving a Toyota Prius when the men pounced on him.
One of the items stolen from Omar’s house along with $400 and R223 000 cash was the custom made laptop in dispute.
Judge Naren Pandya postponed the matter until next Tuesday. - The Star