The bail application of one of South Africa’s most wanted criminals, Bongani Moyo, was abandoned in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
His lawyer Narushka Mistry said an agreement had been reached with Moyo that there was no reasonable prospect of success.
When the magistrate asked him if this was true, Moyo nodded and said “yes”.
This followed his escape on crutches from the Pretoria Regional Court earlier this month. He was not locked in a cell or wearing shackles at the time.
Moyo was facing charges related to more than 35 bank robberies and two escapes from prison.
He would remain in custody until his next appearance with his three co-accused on September 16. Leon Ncube, Thabani Sibanda and his cousin Khubulani Sibanda would then continue their bail applications.
This related to a robbery at Standard Bank on April 19, during which over R30 000 was stolen.
Moyo, wearing a blue Italian national soccer team jersey, was without crutches, handcuffed and shackled during Monday’s court appearance. Heavily-armed police tactical response unit members kept an eye on him in the specially allocated courtroom.
He occasionally scanned the public gallery, then bowed his head again.
Moyo was arrested in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, on Sunday night, police spokesperson Brigadier Neville Malila said. He was found in a car with two Zimbabweans, who had since been charged with harbouring a wanted criminal.
According to police, at his last escape, Moyo was sitting between courts 16 and 17 and escaped through court 16. As a consequence two investigating officers and two policemen were suspended from their duties at the court.
In March, the 29-year-old escaped from Boksburg Prison. He was then arrested near the Beitbridge border post in Limpopo, after returning from his native Zimbabwe. — Sapa