Date set for shipping container theft trial
Almost a year after appearing in the Gqeberha high court for a slew of charges related to the theft of shipping containers, the trial of an Eritrean national will finally start in January.
Estifanos Ghebre Selassie Beyene made a brief appearance in the court, limping across the dock and down to holding cells after his matter was postponed to January 22 for trial.
Beyene injured himself after he jumped from a second-floor balcony to evade arrest after he was detained on May 19 2020 in Kariega.
He faces eight counts of corruption, three of forgery, five for the illegal possession of counterfeit vehicle licences, four counts of fraud, and one count each of the falsification of a vehicle licence.
He is also charged with tampering with a vehicle, uttering a forged document, possession of stolen property, escaping from custody and two counts each for theft and money laundering.
Between November 2019 and May 2020, Beyene allegedly stole at least four shipping containers loaded with cosmetics, clothing, mechanical equipment and other wares which arrived at the port of Ngqura.
Beyene alleged used several contacts from the Sars Border Control Unit, employees of Transnet and drivers of freight trucks to dupe port officials to release containers to him.
While two Sars Border Control Unit employees assisted police in the investigations related to Beyene’s activities, at least one truck driver has turned state witness after his arrest.
Forged documents, access cards, licence plates and other fake documents were allegedly used to commit the crimes which will form part of the state’s case against Beyene.
He was denied bail in the city’s magistrate’s court and lost his appeal at the high court after it was found that he posed a flight risk.
Beyene has been in custody since.