Missing mom - accused’s bail extended

THE mysterious disappearance of a mother and businesswoman eight years ago had a court sequel on Monday.

Businessman Sateesh “Strini” Isseri and his co-accused, suspended local Hawks brigadier Simon Madonsela, appeared in the Durban Commercial Crime Court.

They are facing bribery and corruption charges relating to the docket concerning the disappearance of Isseri’s former lover, Faeika “Rehana” Esop Ali.

The State alleged Isseri bribed Mandonsela to stall the investigations into Ali’s disappearance.

The bribery and corruption case against Madonsela came about after Ali’s brothers, Mahomed Samudh and Ismail Jabur Shaik, lodged a complaint with police at national headquarters in Pretoria.

In it they claimed Madonsela said he could fast track the investigations into their missing sister but it would cost them R28 000.

The State claimed Mandonsela received two payments, the first of which consisted of R25 000 in cash (which was apparently paid in September 2010), and then a bank transfer of R3 000 (which was paid in October 2011).

A year ago, Ali’s daughter, Fehmida Esop Ali, in an application in the Durban High Court to have her mother declared dead, blamed Isseri for her mom’s disappearance.

She alleged that Isseri’s former friend, Ebrahim “Joe” Dayal, who runs an engineering firm in Pinetown, had informed Warrant Officer Deena Govender of the Hawks in Durban that Isseri had drugged her mother, and then buried her.

Fehmida claimed that a few days later Isseri dug up and removed her mother’s body.

Govender, she said, was suddenly removed from the case.

Isseri, in opposing papers, alleged that Fehmida had ruined his reputation.

He claimed Ali was still alive and had settled in Cape Town.

Isseri said Ali was in his vehicle on the night she disappeared but she allegedly jumped out on the freeway and got into another vehicle in which there were two occupants.

The application to have Ali declared dead is pending.

On Monday Isseri’s R10 000 bail and Madonsela’s R5 000 bail was extended.

The accused were ordered to appear in court again on August 21.