Pair in dock for armed robberies
TWO alleged gangsters who targeted members of the public making large cash withdrawals from banks and automated teller machines in the Eastern Cape, appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Sivuyile Mti, 35, and Melumzi Nkombisa appeared before magistrate Rochelle Sam on eight counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, amounting to more than R160 000.
According to the charge sheet before the court, Mti and Nkombisa were arrested for crimes committed using firearms between May last year and June this year in East London, King William’s Town, Bhisho and Zwelitsha.
It is the state’s case that the two men, along with three others who are still at large, allegedly worked as a syndicate that conducted surveillance on members of the public making large cash withdrawals such as for wages or accommodation, before assaulting and robbing them.
The cases are being investigated by the provincial Organised Crimes Unit.
According to the charge sheet, the men allegedly accosted Xoliswa Nogqala using a firearm outside the Bhisho Nedbank on May 21 last year and robbed her of R37 000 in cash.
Then on December 23 last year, the accused allegedly assaulted Nkosinathi Mayoli outside Nedbank in Zwelitsha and robbed him of R19 493, using a firearm.
On February 18 this year, the accused allegedly assaulted Siseko Xathula outside Nedbank in King William’s Town before robbing him of R8 000 which he had withdrawn from the bank.
On April 10 this year, Mti and Nkombisa allegedly stalked a Mr Yeko outside the Southernwood First National Bank after he withdrew R10 000, before assaulting him and taking his money.
A Mrs Delport was assaulted and robbed on May 5 of an undisclosed amount of money outside the FNB bank in Retail Park shopping centre in Beacon Bay.
Three weeks later, a Ms Gobeni was robbed of R20 000 after withdrawing the cash from the same FNB in Retail Park.
Three days later on May 27, the accused allegedly struck again in Southernwood, where they followed a Mr Ganyani, assaulted him and robbed him of R35 000 which he had withdrawn from FNB.
On June 2 this year, the accused allegedly accosted a Mr Yeko and robbed him of R25 000 which he had earlier withdrawn from FNB.
State prosecutor advocate Elna Smith asked for the matter to be postponed to August 28 to allow police to finalise their investigation. Mti’s case was postponed to Monday for a formal bail application