Signal jammer found in ex-Bafana star’s car after cash heist

THE SA National Defence Force is investigating how a signal jammer ended up in a vehicle belonging to former Bafana Bafana and Jomo Cosmos midfielder Lebogang Morula during an armed robbery in Mpumalanga that was foiled by police last month.

The investigating officer, Sergeant Isaac Gumede, told the Ogies Circuit Court, where Morula and his co-accused are applying for bail, that he was waiting for an SANDF statement on the signal-jamming device and its impact and radius.

Gumede said the device was found in the VW Golf that Morula was driving during the robbery at the Standard Bank branch in Ogies on February 18.

Morula and his co-accused, Mamelodi West mechanic Billy Malope and taxi driver Thabani Twala, may also be charged with fraud after police found the Golf had a fake registration plate during the robbery.

Gumede testified that Morula was facing a charge of vehicle theft in GaRankuwa, Pretoria. The 46-year-old, who represented South Africa at the 1998 World Cup in France, was also the subject of an investigation into a robbery at Klipgat, also in Pretoria. But the robbery charge had since been withdrawn due to police bungling.

Morula allegedly committed both crimes in October last year but failed to reveal them in his statement during the bail hearing and when he first appeared in court.

Gumede said he was confident he had a strong case against Morula, who is on trial for attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to Gumede, he took Morula to the Brits Magistrate’s Court on February 23 for the attempted murder case but the matter was postponed to June because his co-accused was not in court.

Morula was on bail for the attempted murder when he allegedly took part in an armed robbery with Malope and Twala while their other accomplices fled.

Gumede said Malope and Twala allegedly approached the SBV van while wearing the security company’s uniform.

They allegedly loaded R3.4-million into their stolen getaway car, a white VW Polo, before police pounced. The Polo had been hijacked in Mabopane.

Their bail hearing will continue on Friday.