Cell phone confusion in Hawks’ intimidation trial

Investigator was part of a different operation

AHAWKS investigator has given the East London Magistrate’s Court a different cellphone number to the one given by his colleague Captain Anelisa Feni, as the number of the phone that sent her threatening text messages in September.

The Hawks’ illegal firearms unit provincial co-coordinator Colonel Siphiwo Ripa was testifying on Friday in the intimidation trial of Sithembele April, 41, of Mdantsane, accused of sending threatening messages to Feni on September 16.

Ripa, who was present when April was arrested on November 16, told the court the cellphone with the number alleged to have been the one that had sent threatening messages to Feni, was not found in April’s possession but in April’s friend’s jacket when the Hawks pounced on the two men in a house in Mdantsane’s NU2.

Feni told the court on Wednesday the number which had sent her threatening messages, was an 060 number.

However, on Friday Ripa told the court the number was an 065 number.

Ripa said on November 16 he found his way to April’s Mdantsane home after receiving information that he had an illegal firearm in his possession.

“I rushed to the office … [and] found three [colleagues] to accompany me,” Ripa told regional magistrate Dan Ngoqo.

He identified them in court as Brigadier Govender, Warrant Officer Mosiya “and another warrant officer whose name I have now forgotten”.

Ripa said when he informed his colleagues who he was looking for, they recognised April’s name, and told him that there was an intimidation case they were investigating against him.

They went to April’s home but could not find him. They later went to another house where they found him in the company of a friend. “He allowed us to freely search the twobedroom flat he was in, but unfortunately we did not find the gun. While I was still searching, Brigadier Govender made a call to the number that had sent threatening messages to Captain Feni, and a phone rang in the jacket pocket of April’s friend.

“April’s friend quickly told us that it was not his phone, but April’s. The accused also confirmed this.

“We also found documents, such as ID copies, people’s CVs, municipal accounts and newspaper clippings, and as a result, April was arrested.”

Ripa said he later wrote down the phone’s IMEI number, as well as its number, which Govender had called.

Asked by defence attorney Mkhuseli Nosilela whether he knew why his client had been arrested, Ripa said he had no idea as he was only there to look for the firearm and “was never part of the investigation he was arrested for”.

Nosilela told the court his client would dispute that the phone was his and that he had told the Hawks members it belonged to him.

The trial was postponed until June 22. —