The robbery trial of serial escapee Bongani Moyo and three others is to be transferred to the High Court in Pretoria.
|||The robbery trial of serial escapee Bongani Moyo and three others is to be transferred to the High Court in Pretoria.
On Friday, Moyo appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court through a video link from prison, along with co-accused Leon Ncube, Khumbulani Sibanda and Thabani Sibanda.
Magistrate Maryke de la Rey postponed the matter to May 14, when the four would have to confirm receiving documents informing them of the transfer of the trial. The document would include charge sheets and disclosure of a list of State witnesses lined up for the High Court trial.
State advocate Abe Koalepe handed over numerous files to the lawyer for the four, Donald Somo, who would visit Moyo and his three co-accused before May 14.
On the same day, (May 14) Moyo, Dube and Khumbulani Sibanda would also stand trial for a foiled March 14 prison break. The men attempted to escape from Pretoria Central Prison, using their orange overalls to scale the perimeter wall. A newspaper vendor saw them breaking out and raised the alarm.
Previously, the robbery case was postponed as the prosecution awaited instructions from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether Moyo and his three co-accused would be charged in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The confirmation had been received, De la Rey told the court, and the matter was expected to run in the High Court from March 11 to 28, 2013.
Moyo made headlines when he escaped from the Pretoria Magistrate's Court in August by walking out with members of the public, while on crutches.
He was re-arrested three weeks later near the Beitbridge border post in Limpopo, on his way back into South Africa from Zimbabwe.
It was not the Zimbabwean's first bid for freedom. In March last year, Moyo escaped from the Boksburg prison. He was arrested almost three months later. – Sapa