Ditebogo Phalane’s alleged killers ditch bail bid, again
The three men linked to the murder of five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane abandoned bail for a second time on Thursday.
Elia Moeko (36), Ali Sithole (30), and Nido Gumbe (29) face schedule six charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances after Phalane was shot and killed outside his family's Soshanguve home while his father was being hijacked in May.
The men appeared briefly in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court, where prosecutor Tumelo Letaoana indicated that the state would be opposing bail for all three men.
However, the trio's lawyer, Thulani Kekana, told the court that during consultation with the suspects’ families, it emerged that they had been receiving threatening messages that could lead to the disturbance of public order should the men be released.
“I am not going to disclose what has happened with the families, but they have been receiving messages that are not appropriate,” he said.
READ MORE: Ditebogo Phalane’s ‘inconsolable’ family ‘comforted’ by swift arrests
Meanwhile, Sithole and Gumbe have pending matters in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court, while Moeko has another case in a Pretoria North court.
Letaoana requested a postponement to allow the investigating officer to conclude aspects of his investigation and a decision from the Office of the Director for Public Prosecutions on the possible centralisation of the other cases.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana explained the reasons the state planned to oppose bail.
“The investigating officer was going to elaborate on why the state is opposing bail based on the reasons that these three are a flight risk, their addresses were not verified, and the seriousness of the offence. Remember, a child was involved in this case, and they are facing schedule six offences.”
The court granted the postponement until 4 December 2024.
“When this matter appears again, the decision whether the matters will be joined and how far the investigations are will be made,” Mahanjana explained.
Moeko remained in the dock after his co-accused were sent back to the cells for further proceedings in his possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.
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