Cape Town - The State has started to close the net on the network of alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, as they are set to include more than 40 of his affiliates, including former human settlements mayco member, Malusi Booi, to go on trial at the same time.
The mammoth undertaking was unveiled in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court yesterday, as Stanfield and Booi, along with their co-accused, returned to court amid an ever-growing charge sheet.
After more than a year of court hearings, arrests and bail applications, it has been revealed that once completed, the State is set to haul over 40 people to trial alongside Stanfield for an array of crimes including murder, fraud, attempted murder, firearm charges and charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Yesterday, the State brought an application for the amalgamation of various charge sheets, which include the murders of alleged Hard Livings gang boss Rashied Staggie, and a R1 billion tender fraud case.
Stanfield’s legal woes started late last year when he was arrested alongside his wife Nicole Johnson at their Constantia home and was charged with the attempted murder of a former employee.
The charges later evolved following the arrests of several alleged members of the Firm Boys gang, who were charged with the murder of slain City of Cape Town staffer Wendy Kloppers, who was gunned down at a housing site in Delft amid extortion attempts. Booi was arrested alongside his ex-wife, former girlfriend and a former staffer from the City of Cape Town last month. The group stands accused of colluding with Stanfield and Johnson and accepting gifts worth millions in exchange for government tenders.
Just a day after being released on bail, the director of ZSM Developers, Abdul Kader Davids, and co-accused of Booi, died in a hail of bullets while walking in Beacon Valley.
During court proceedings yesterday, State prosecutor, Advocate Frank van Heerden, said while amalgamating the charge sheets would result in 26 accused persons, the State intended on amalgamating yet another firearms case, which will see 20 more people added to the charge sheet.
It is also understood that the case involving Stanfield’s younger brother, Kyle, and mother-in-law, Barbara Johnson, will also be added to the charge sheet.
This relates to the alleged attempts to destroy documentation relating to Johnson’s construction company ahead of a police raid.
The State called on Magistrate Alid Theart to postpone the case for further investigations, but this came under fierce opposition from defence teams, who also lashed-out as some of the accused had not been brought to court and instead appeared via an online meeting.
The case was postponed to January 31 for further investigations.
mahira.duval@inl.co.za
Cape Argus