Bees Roux's card user gets R2,000 bail

THE 29-year-old Mamelodi man arrested in connection with the theft and subsequent R8,000 shopping spree on two credit cards belonging to Blue Bulls player and murder accused Jacobus "Bees" Roux has been released on R2,000 bail.
Vusumuzi Ntloko, who appeared in the Pretoria magistrate's court, is facing 12 counts of fraud for the transactions made on the credit cards and one of theft for unlawful possession of the cards.
Ntloko allegedly picked up the cards at the scene where Sergeant Johannes Mogale, 38, was allegedly beaten to death by Roux, 28, on August 27.
Mogale and two colleagues had allegedly pulled over Roux for drunken driving. Mogale is said to have offered to drive Roux home but moments later he lay dead on the corner of Richard and Schoeman streets in the city centre.
By the time Ntloko was arrested at his workplace in Silverlakes, East of Pretoria, on September 3, he had already blown R8,000 on fried chicken, alcohol and electrical appliances.
Ntloko had been remanded in custody following his first appearance last week because the state feared that he might temper with material evidence at Makro where he is employed.
Chief prosecutor Matric Luphondo did not oppose bail yesterday because "the state had already secured evidence such as transaction records at Ntloko's workplace" where he allegedly spent R3,798 on electrical appliances.
Luphondo added that police were still searching for two more suspects and a vehicle used to transport purchased goods.
"The state does not oppose bail but we are in disagreement with the amount. The state proposes an amount of R2,000 considering the seriousness of the charges while the defence wants the accused to be released on R1,000.
"The state has a strong case against the case based on the CCTV footage in which the accused is caught on camera transacting on the cards," he said.
Ntloko's lawyer Eric Pitso said his client could not afford R2,000 because he has been suspended from work and his father was a pensioner.
Concurring with the state, Magistrate JC Kruger said: "Looking at the charges, I noted that out of 12 transactions made on the card six were for liquor. The state also has a strong case. The amount set by the state is reasonable."

Kruger postponed the matter to October 15 for further investigation. Luphondo asked to be excused from the case as it will coincide with Roux's matter, in which he is also the prosecutor.