/ 5 April 2011

Gemballa case postponed to June

The case against three men linked to the murder of German supercar conversion specialist Uwe Gemballa was postponed until June 8 by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Garlond Holworthy (32), Thabo Mohapi (36) and Kagiso Linken (29) will remain in custody until their next court appearance.

They were all in leg irons during their brief court appearance on Tuesday.

They held their heads high as they entered the dock, constantly looking towards the public gallery.

The three men are charged with kidnapping and murdering Gemballa, an associate of Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir.

Krejcir has been arrested on a fraud charge relating to a R4,5-million insurance claim.

Thabiso Melvin Mpye (29) was earlier convicted and sentenced in a plea agreement in the high court in Johannesburg for his involvement in the Gemballa murder.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Gemballa (55) shortly after the German arrived in South Africa in February last year.

Gemballa’s body was found in a shallow grave in Pretoria in October. — Sapa