The trial of four additional suspects standing accused of allegedly orchestrating two business armed robberies and killing a police officer is set for 11 October in the Wepener Regional Court. Thabo Moshesha, Potsane Poone, Thabo Tshabalala, and Ditaba Montsi have been appearing in court following their arrest regarding two robberies that took place on 10 May last year.
The investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Bloemfontein, in collaboration with the Wepener police, resulted in the arrest of seven suspects in total.
One of them is Wendy Susan Jacobs (43) who was sentenced by the Free State High Court to effective ten years’ imprisonment on 3 October, after the Free State High Court found her guilty of business robbery with aggravating circumstances. The trial of two other accomplices, William Ndalose (38) and Edward Koto (31), is ongoing until 20 October in the High Court in Bloemfontein.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson of the Hawks, said the men are charged with murder, attempted murder, and business robbery with aggravating circumstances.
He said one robbery took place around 19:00, during which Const. Kananelo Mokgothu (22) was fatally shot and his colleague wounded during a shoot-out with a group of armed robbers. The surviving officer was shot in the left arm. The two officers came under fire trying to prevent the robbery.
Singo said in one incident, four armed men stormed into a store and threatened the security officer to switch off the alarm.
“They then forced the manager to open the safe and thereafter took an undisclosed amount of money and several grocery items. Before fleeing the scene, they locked up the security officer and staff inside the supermarket,” said Singo.
He said the brazen robbers pointed their guns at the supermarket owner after entering the business. Thereafter, they took R60 000 cash, beverages, and cigarettes.
Singo said the breakthrough came with the arrest of the first suspect on the R26 road between Wepener and Hobhouse.
