Bail delay for suspect in hijacking of cop case

THE lawyer of a parolee accused of hijacking a policeman stepped back from the bail application in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The accused, Siseko Mgentse, had three years left of parole after a robbery conviction when he was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly hijacking a Zwelitsha policeman and shooting at police who gave chase.

He appeared before bail magistrate Nazeem Joemath on charges of hijacking, illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder.

His attorney, Bongani Macingwane, told Joemath he was withdrawing the bail application as he was “not fully instructed”, meaning Mgentse did not have money to pay for his defence.

The case was postponed to July 27 for further investigation and Mgentse was remanded in custody.

The unidentified warrant officer from Zwelitsha said he had been hijacked while returning home at midnight on June 19.

The officer was forced out of the vehicle and managed to get to the Zwelitsha police station, where he reported the attack.

A 32-year-old man was arrested later that morning by members of the East London K9 dog unit, who intercepted him on the old King William’s Town road near Fort Jackson while driving the officer’s Nissan Almera.

The police officers had been on the lookout for the hijacked vehicle being driven by an armed and dangerous suspect.

Police said as they were chasing him, Mgentse opened fire and they retaliated.

This resulted in a high-speed chase that ended in Summerpride, where Mgentse surrendered.

Police recovered a firearm with a serial number filed off.

The hijacked officer’s firearm was not recovered at the scene.

The recovered firearm was taken for ballistic testing, and fingerprints taken from the officer’s car were sent to the criminal record centre. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za