Three Brazilians will testify in the drug-trafficking case against the state security minister’s wife and a Nigerian national, the Pietermaritzburg High Court heard on Monday.
The drug-trafficking case against Frank Nabolisa and Sheryl Cwele (42), the wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, started at 10am on Monday.
The court heard that the state would call Jean Carlos de Bortole of the Brazilian Federal Police, Carolina Passato Braga, and Denilison Ricardo Maia, who examines drugs.
The state alleges that Cwele and Nabolisa conspired to recruit two women as drug mules.
They were Charmaine Moss and Tessa Beetge, who is serving an eight-year jail sentence in São Paulo, Brazil, after 9,2kg of raw cocaine was found in her luggage.
It was Bortole who arrested Beetge, the court heard.
Testifying in court on Monday, Moss described how she was allegedly recruited by Cwele to work overseas.
She had also met Nabolisa during preparations for her trip. Moss allegedly later turned down the offer.
She is one of the state’s witnesses.
Cwele arrived in court accompanied by two women believed to be her relatives, while Nabolisa arrived in court with his feet in shackles accompanied by three armed police officers.
Cwele was granted bail of R100 000 on February 5 and Nabolisa was denied bail because the court said he was a flight risk.
Cwele’s husband, who was in court during the bail application in February, was not in court on Monday.
The trial continues. — Sapa