THE VOICE, REPORTER BIANCA DU PLESSIS
The son of former Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie walked out of court a free man after facing charges drug. Two days ago, Abdul Taliep Boonzaaier was acquitted on charges of the illegal possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice. But he still has several other pending matters scheduled for today in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court, and on Friday in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court.
Application
On Monday, Boonzaaier was found not guilty in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court after his attorney Bruce Hendricks made an application for his client to be acquitted. Boonzaaier’s co-accused, Zaine van Wyk, was found guilty of possession of drugs after he entered into a plea agreement with the state. Zaine admitted he panicked when he saw cops on December 24, 2014, and ran into Boonzaaier’s house where he dropped tik and a lolly on the bed next to Boonzaaier. Boonzaaier is due in Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court today in POCA-related charges, a count of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and two counts of the possession of drugs. The charges relate to incidents in 2014 when cops allegedly found 198 live rounds of ammunition and counterfeit cash to the value of R90000 in a car he was travelling in, as well as an incident when a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition were found in his car. In September 2014, Boonzaaier pleaded guilty to a charge of the possession of tik and was sentenced to R1000 fine. On Friday he is expected to apply for bail in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on drug-related charges. This follows his arrest in August this year when he was allegedly caught with packets of tik and cocaine.