OR Tambo accused ‘can’t handle jail’

THE eighth man accused of being behind the daring multi-million rand OR Tambo heist said he was not emotionally equipped to withstand his continued imprisonment.

This was heard during his bail application yesterday at the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court.

Philakuhle Comos Ntanzi, along with seven others, stands accused of robbery with aggravated circumstances after a group of armed men posing as police officers made of with R20.7 million during the robbery that took place last month.

His defence attorney Welcome Ndlovu read Ntanzi’s affidavit into record and told the court his client’s continued incarceration was having an emotional toll on him (Ntanzi) while stating that his client was furnished with the details of the charges he was being accused of.

“The State’s case is weak; I was not arrested in or near the scene neither was I in possession of ammunition when I was arrested,” Ntanzi said. “No money or anything related to allegations was found on me and I have not been linked in any way to evidence or video footage.

‘‘There is no forensic evidence and nobody has identified me as being involved in the robbery. I am not emotionally equipped to be kept in incarceration.”

However, State prosecutor Jacob Serepo said Ntanzi was key to the alleged robbery, as he was briefed about the planned robbery.

Serepo, who was reading Hawks investigating officer Colonel Samuel Mahlangu’s affidavit, said Ntanzi had an alliance with four outstanding suspects from Zimbabwe while others are still at large.

Mahlangu said Ntanzi allegedly picked up one of the suspects and was briefed of the plan before he dropped him off at an Engen Garage and contributed a figure of R1 000, but did not specify what the sum of money was for. “Upon his arrest, officers found a document with names and numbers of other suspects and their cellphone numbers. This should have encouraged him to tip-off the police,” Mahlangu said in his affidavit. He opposed Ntanzi’s bail application saying he would be a flight risk and would evade a lengthy jail term.

Despite this, Ndlovu argued that apart from the warning statement, which implicated his client, there was nothing else. “Even if we take the warning statement, the applicant doesn’t say I was involved in the commission; in page four he is saying I was briefed about the planning when I went to drop him at the garage, but does not specify when and which Engen Garage.”

Magistrate Gmukelani Msimeki postponed the matter to tomorrow when judgment on Ntanzi’s bail application is expected to be handed down.