No plea bargain in men’s abalone trial

THE trial of two Eastern Cape men arrested for illegal possession of abalone to the value of R30 000 in 2016 was yesterday postponed to August after the state refused to accept a plea bargain from one of the men.

Accused, Mxolisi Nqweni, 53, from Amalinda, East London, wanted to plead guilty, arguing that his 41-year-old co-accused, Xolani Ncipa, from Cuba in Butterworth, had nothing to do with the three bags of de-shelled abalone found in their possession when they were arrested by police outside East London.

However, state prosecutor Fika Mgudlwa yesterday refused to accept the bargaining plea from Nqweni, saying both the accused men were fully involved in the illegal possession of abalone and that they should face the wrath of the law together.

Nqweni and Ncipa yesterday made a brief appearance at the East London Regional Court.

They were arrested during a routine search on the R72 road near Ncera outside East London on August 8 2016.

In the vehicle they were travelling in, there were three bags containing 153 deshelled abalone.

Both men are out on R1 000 bail.

They have been charged with unlawful and wrongful possession and/or transportation of abalone without possessing the necessary permit.

Yesterday regional court magistrate Nomthandazo Vabaza postponed their trial to August 27 and 28.

At the time of writing yesterday, it was not clear where Nqweni and Ncipa’s abalone came from or where it was destined.

In January last year, the Dispatch reported that the Hawks had raided an illegal abalone (perlemoen) processing operation in a Nahoon Valley home in East London, but four men fled before they could be arrested. —