EWN article by Ntuthuzelo Nene
CAPE TOWN – The five men arrested for allegedly planning a cash-in-transit heist in Khayelitsha have been set free.
Only three of them appeared at the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court on Thursday, facing murder and firearms-related charges.
The other two are in hospital after they were wounded in a shootout with police earlier this week.
Eight others were killed during a police intelligence-driven operation in Town Two.
The suspects have been released after their case has been removed from the court roll, following arguments from one of the men’s lawyers that their appearance before the court was unlawful.
The court agreed, citing that the accused were brought before it outside the 48-hour period stipulated in law.
However, Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the police will work hard to have the matter reinstated.
He said police are trying to link the men to two other CIT incidents that happened in the Western Cape last month.
“Remember this was one matter that these people were appearing for. We have other matters that we are investigating. We had two other cash-in-transits that happened around Kuilsriver and Paarl,” Patekile said.