Durban - Wealthy businessman Farhad Hoomer, who has been labelled as one of three alleged kingpins in the Durban terror attacks, was arrested after police traced his dead wife’s cellphone to a location close to Imam Hussain Mosque in Ottawa.
During his bail application at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Hoomer described the State’s case against him as flimsy and said he intended pleading not guilty to the charges against him.
On Tuesday the State opposed bail saying the charges were of serious nature and that the suspects were a safety and flight risk.
It said public safety and international peace was also at risk.
In his affidavit, Hoomer said the only evidence linking him and co-accused Ahmad Haffejee, 28, of Eshowe Hills and his cousin Goolam Haffejee, 37, of Parlock, was their cellphones.
Hoomer was arrested while conducting Friday prayers at a mosque in Fulham Road, Reservoir Hills. His 12-year-old son was with him and he was detained for eight hours before being released.
Hoomer said a Colonel Johannes Vreugdenburg, one of the investigating officers in the case, had linked him to the Ottawa mosque attack by tracking the movements of the cellphone registered to his wife, Naida Hoomer, who died six months ago.
“Colonel Vreugdenburg found that it moved from the tower at La Mercy Hotel to the Palmview tower and then back to La Mercy.”
Hoomer said all Vreugdenburg said was the cellphone tower in Palmview serviced the area where the Verulam mosque was located.
Hoomer confirmed he owned a property in Nugget Road, Reservoir Hills, where the Hawks had found a malnourished man chained in a dungeon.
“I was not residing at that address, various other persons were staying there.”
He also denied having any involvement in the Woolworths explosions, saying Vreugdenburg made it clear in his affidavit that African males were involved.
He also said he had not been identified at the identification parade for Woolworths explosion.
Hoomer runs a number of businesses which include buying and selling property, as well as importing of goods into South Africa. He also buys and sells gold. His business turnover is R5 million per month. He said after the death of his wife he was the primary caregiver to their children aged 22, 17 and 12.
In accordance to his religion, Hoomer is married to Hanane Hoomer with whom he has two daughters aged 7 and 5.
He is also married to Imaan Hoomer. They have 1 year-old twins.
Haffajee, the son of a well-known Durban doctor, also intends on pleading not guilty. He has three children aged 2, 4, and 6. Haffajee owns Hafmed Distributors and Ushaka Mega Building in Shakaskraal.
The remaining nine, who are also still in custody, are Thabit Said Mwenda, 28, of Reservoir Hills; Mohammed Akbar, 21, of Umbilo; Mohammed Seidth, 24, of Reservoir Hills; Amani Mayan, of Reservoir Hills; Abubakari Ali, 41, of Overport; Abasi Juma, 41, of the DRC; Muhammed Adil Sobrun, 19, of Durban; and Burundi nationals Omar Iddy, 38, and Ndikumana Shabani Umande, 42.
They are also applying for bail.