Mosque 'bomb' suspect set to apply for bail

Godfrey Lebeya during his first appearance in Parliament since his appointment. Picture: Chantall Presence / ANA

Godfrey Lebeya during his first appearance in Parliament since his appointment. Picture: Chantall Presence / ANA

Published Aug 15, 2018

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Parliament - A man arrested in connection with a device resembling a bomb planted at the Taqwa mosque in Vereeniging, Gauteng, earlier this month previously lived in Verulam in Durban North and will apply for bail on Thursday, MPs heard on Wednesday.

"The suspect that has been detained with regard to the bomb threat activities and was arrested in Gauteng. That suspect is still in custody," said Godrey Lebeya while briefing Parliament's portfolio committee on police for the first time since his appointment as head of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in May.

"He is going to apply for bail tomorrow [Thursday]. The intention is to oppose that application. The court will decide."

Lebeya told MPs the man previously lived in Verulam, where an attack on a mosque by knife-wielding attackers left one man dead and two others wounded. Two days after this attack, an undetonated explosive device was found at the mosque. Lebeya would not be drawn when asked if the suspect was linked to the Verulam bomb threat and several others in Durban.

Earlier, the Hawks boss said they had so far linked 10 of the incidents in which bombs were found in Durban in May, June and July.

A special task team, consisting of intelligence officers, analysts, investigators and prosecutors, was set up shortly after the bombs were found at several stores in and around Durban.

African News Agency (ANA)

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