Miguel suspect in court

THERE was chaos in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday as Mohammed Vahed Ebrahim, the Phoenix butcher accused of kidnapping Sydenham schoolboy Miguel Louw, had not yet been charged with murder and had his bail extended.

Ebrahim waited inside the court precinct after his brief appearance as residents gathered outside the courthouse, waiting for him to exit.

Louw, 9, disappeared on July 17, near his school in Sydenham. His body was later found in a shallow grave on September 3 in Phoenix a few hundred metres from Ebrahim’s home. The body was verified as Louw’s nine days later via fast tracking of DNA samples taken from his parents.

The child’s grandmother – wearing a white T-shirt printed with Miguel’s face – broke down in the courtroom, screaming “justice, please” as she was led out by family members.

Ebrahim told journalists he was “sad” at the public’s reaction to the case and confirmed that he and his family had received threatening messages.

The State was granted an adjournment to December 5, for further investigation by Magistrate Mohammed Motala.

At Miguel’s memorial service, Police Minister Bheki Cele told mourners Ebrahim’s bail would be “challenged” because of the “strength of the case”.

Ebrahim was arrested in July in connection with the child’s kidnapping, then charged with human trafficking. He was granted bail of R2 500 days before the child’s body was discovered.

Ebrahim has denied being involved in Miguel’s disappearance.