By Freeman Razemba
A Zimbabwean man believed to have been part of a gang linked to the recent OR Tambo International Airport multi-million rand heist has 14 different names, South African Police have revealed.
According to media reports, the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court yesterday heard that Prince Raphael Dube‚ the man who told the court that he earned 400 000 rand per month‚ has 14 different names‚ according to police records.
It was also clarified that Dube does not, in fact, earn R400 000 a month‚ but earns this amount per year as salaries from three different companies he was linked to. Some of these companies were not registered for Value Added Tax and neither had Company Tax Returns filed with the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
This emerged when South Africa State Prosecutor Mr Jacob Serepo read an affidavit from a SARS official in opposition of bail for Dube‚ whose application continues.
Dube also has not filed a personal income tax return since 2010.
Further evidence presented by the State included four previous convictions for fraud‚ contravening the Immigration Act and driving under the influence of alcohol in the last seven years‚ two of which he did not declare to the court.
“We have found records of five different surnames and six different dates of birth‚ as per reports from the Local Criminal Record Centre‚” Mr Serepo told the court.
The State maintained that Dube was an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe and that he was arrested in possession of a falsified South African identity document‚ for which a case of fraud was opened in Bethal in the Free State.
The court heard arguments from Dube’s lawyer‚ Advocate Oscar Machevele, in which he clarified the 400 000 rand monthly income issue.
“My client was still confused as he had been grievously assaulted by the arresting officers‚” Adv Machevele submitted to the court in response to Magistrate Amulekani Msimeki questioning the R400 000 per month salary‚ as she had requested the accused to clarify the statement on a previous occasion.
“I can confirm he earns that amount per annum‚ not per month‚” Adv Machevele said.
Adv Machevele argued that exceptional circumstances‚ which must be proved for a bail applicant charged with a Schedule Six offence to be granted bail‚ were indeed proved for his client.
“In reply to the State‚ nothing was found in possession of my client at the time of his arrest to link him to the robbery,” he said.
“Even now‚ the State has not produced any video footage or blood evidence to prove he was there.” The Herald
