Kimberley - The trial of nine men accused of being involved in a cash-in-transit heist near K&B Supermarket in Beaconsfield in Kimberley has been postponed until Wednesday after one of the accused fell ill and was unable to appear in court on Monday.
The accused - Modisoatsile Diseko, Jones Mashigo, Thabiso Ramabusana, Seikanyo Manynama, Bongani Montsheke, Zeth Mthuthuzeli, Ishmael Kgosimere, Ezekiel Sebigo and Carl van Graaf - are facing 16 charges, including robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, theft of a motor vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition and illegal possession of firearm.
Accused three, Thabiso Ramabusana, did not appear in the Kimberley Regional Court on Monday and tendered a doctor’s letter through his lawyer, Adele van Schalkwyk, to the court.
Van Schalkwyk said the letter stated that Ramabusana had been booked off for two days.
This is the second time the matter was postponed due to Ramabusana’s ill-health. He had previously told the court that he was diabetic.
Court proceedings were also delayed on Monday after court orderlies could not initially trace accused seven, Ishmael Kgosimere, who is in custody.
The men were arrested after more than R4.5 million was stolen during the incident which occurred on November 16 2015, when guards from G4S Security were robbed at gunpoint while emptying an ATM adjacent to K&B Supermarket.
Two of the accused remain in custody while the rest are out on bail.