The state plans on opposing bail on Thursday in a decade-old case against four men, including crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, who stand implicated in a love-triangle murder.
“We will present our grounds on Thursday … and based on evidential material, we believe we can sustain the charges,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga at the last court appearance.
Mdluli and his co-accused — 52-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi, court orderly Samuel Dlomo (49) and Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba (38) — are due to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court at 9am for a bail application.
On Monday, the court barred media from taking pictures of Mtunzi, who is also attached to crime intelligence, after an application by the NPA.
“We don’t want it because it is an investigative concern to have his picture published and we hope you guys will respect that,” Mhaga told journalists.
The order was in respect of Mtunzi only.
Death threats
Mtunzi was arrested in Doornkloof on Friday, while Mdluli handed himself over to authorities a day earlier after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
The four were being kept at undisclosed locations for security reasons.
They are accused of killing Oupa Abel Ramogibe in 1999 and are charged with intimidation, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Mdluli is the only one facing an additional charge of defeating and/or obstructing the course of justice.
Ramogibe allegedly received death threats after marrying Mdluli’s ex-lover, and was told to leave her or he would be killed.
He had opened an attempted murder case before his death.
Mdluli, who was the station commissioner at the Vosloorus police station in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, at the time, was accused of sabotaging the investigation.
At least 14 family members close to the murder case were put into a witness protection programme last week, according to a media report. — Sapa