No bail for two kidnap accused

Two of the four suspects in the kidnapping of six-year-old Amy’Leigh de Jager were denied bail in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Tharina Human, 27, and 50-year-old Pieter van Zyl remain in custody after the court denied them bail. Letitia Nel has been granted R25 000 bail and has to report to the Vanderbijlpark police station every Wednesday. She has to hand her passport to the police, and has been barred from having any contact with the De Jager family.

The trio was arrested for allegedly kidnapping Amy’Leigh and taking her to a smallholding in Rosashof near Vanderbijlpark. The child was reportedly put in a cooling room under a water tank.

Human, who has since been fired from her teaching job at Laerskool Kollegepark, was allegedly the mastermind behind the kidnapping. She was also a close friend of the De Jager family. The six-year-old was snatched outside her school in Vanderbijlpark on September 2.

In his ruling, Magistrate Hussain Khota said the three violated Amy’Leigh’s constitutional right to freedom of movement.

A fourth accused, Bafokeng Molemohi, has abandoned his bail application.

Handing down judgment, Khota said the court had to evaluate the “balance of probabilities based on facts” and evidence brought before it. He said the facts presented to the court in argument for the accused to be released or not were, however, yet to be proved on trial.

Khota said the nature of the crime informed the state’s opposition to bail and this could not be ignored by the court. He added that the court was satisfied the state’s case, on a balance of probabilities, did not favour the release of the accused on bail.

“The fear of the investigating officers is justified as the court is sure that if applicant one (Human) is released she will interefere with state witnesses” he said.

Khota added that the state’s fear that Human may be harmed by “drug lords” was accepted too.

The demeanour of Human and her co-accused had also given the court a bad impression, he said. He noted that Human had looked unfazed in court and added that she might even fake her own kidnapping. “She (Human) is seen to be educated and is also seen in the evidence to be highly manipulative.” – Additional reporting by News24 Wire funeralcar.co.za

The court is sure that if applicant one (Human) is released she will interefere with state witnesses.