‘Mosque bomber’ seeks bail

A man arrested in connection with a device resembling a bomb planted at the Taqwa mosque in Vereeniging, south of Gauteng, earlier this month, previously lived in Verulam, north of Durban.

The man is expected to apply for bail today, MPs heard yesterday.

“The suspect that has been detained with regards to the bomb threat activities was arrested in Gauteng,” said Godrey Lebeya while briefing parliament’s portfolio committee on police for the first time since his appointment as head of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation – the Hawks – in May.

“That suspect is still in custody. He is going to apply for bail tomorrow [today].

“The intention is to oppose that applica- tion. The court will decide.”

Lebeya told MPs the man previously lived in Verulam, where an attack on a mosque by knife-wielding attackers left one man dead and two others wounded. Two days after this attack, an undetonated explosive device was found at the mosque.

Lebeya would not be drawn when asked if the suspect was linked to the Verulam bomb threat and several others in Durban.

Earlier, he said they had so far linked 10 of the incidents in which bombs were found in Durban in May, June and July.

A special task team – consisting of intelligence officers, analysts, investigators and prosecutors – was set up shortly after the bombs were found at several stores in and around Durban. – ANA