Accused drops bail plea as kid brother throws him under bus

Blood, often thicker than water, ran very thin for two brothers applying for bail at the East London magistrate’s court on Thursday when the younger one sank his sibling by pinning a robbery on him.

Odwa Kawa, 23, his brother Yanga Kawa, 28, and their friend Bonginkosi Tomose, 22, were charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances.

During his bail testimony, Kawa said his brother Yanga had singlehandedly carried out the robbery.

He said Yanga had robbed a man who owed him R80 of his cellphone. This happened at the end of a drunken binge in Mzamomhle township.

Kawa said it was his brother who pushed the victim down and found the phone but not the money, and proceeded to take the phone instead.

The robbery took place at 4am and by 4.30am the three were arrested, after attempting to run away from the police.

An identity parade implicated all of them.

Tomose’s version of events differed from Kawa’s. He said they all did it and stole other items from the victim.

When asked by state prosecutor Athi Mancoba why Tomose’s story was different, Kawa said: “I have no knowledge of the robbery even though I was with them. He [Tomose] is lying. Maybe it’s because he was drunk.”

Mancoba said: “Between you and your friend, one of you is lying and my suspicion is that it is you.”

But Kawa stood his ground, much to his brother’s dismay.

Yanga put both hands on his head and abandoned his bail application, returning to the cells as his brother spoke.

The two others will know their fate on Friday.