Despite owning and living in the property where the kidnapping of a Dutch businessman took place, one of the six accused claims he had no idea that any crime was taking place. Photo: Supplied Despite owning and living in the property where the kidnapping of a Dutch businessman took place, one of the six accused claims he had no idea that any crime was taking place. Photo: Supplied
Despite owning and living in the property where the kidnapping of a Dutch businessman took place, one of the six accused claims he had no idea that any crime was taking place.
Edo de Ronde was kidnapped from his hotel after he flew in from the Netherlands in early July, lured in by what police believe was a 419 scam.
Four of the accused – Richard Ogbozor, Chinedu Ikedi, James Ifemetu and Christiaan Offiah – are Nigerian nationals, who had allegedly been working with South Africans Nicholas Smith and Tracey Harrop.
The group’s bail application began on Wednesday at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, but the complicated proceedings went slowly as two translators, four lawyers and a seemingly confused investigating officer attempted to unravel the kidnapping plot.
The attorney for Smith and Ogbozor, Thokozani Nkabinde, argued that Smith had no idea of the kidnapping taking place, even though he owned and lived on the property in which the Dutch national had been held.
Last month, Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela said De Ronde’s company, European China Centre Rotterdam, had been pursuing a R42 million scrap metal contract and sent him to South Africa to confirm the deal.
After arriving in the country on July 6, he was kept bound at a guest house in Olivedale, Smith’s residence, for almost two days, while his captors extorted thousands of dollars from his boss.
Nkabinde said Ogbozor had informed Smith that a group of colleagues were trying to conduct a huge scrap metal deal and needed a place for their Dutch contact to stay.
When De Ronde first arrived on the afternoon of July 7, Smith had not noticed any problems and after returning home in the evening, the businessman had been sitting in the guesthouse’s lounge, eating a chicken dinner, not indicating he was in any danger.
However, investigating officer, Constable Naudé Mathe said this contradicted De Ronde’s statement, in which he claimed to have been handcuffed for most of his time in the guesthouse.
“The complainant (De Ronde) had scars on his (wrists), an indication he had been tied up,” said Mathe.
Nkabinde responded that a State witness had confirmed in writing that De Ronde’s hands had not been bound.
It was also revealed that several of the Nigerian accused were not legally in the country, but Mathe had been unable to provide detailed information on whether the others were legal.
Ogbozor had valid asylum papers and Offiah was in the country legally, but Ikedi was still waiting for a new residency permit from Home Affairs because his current permit had expired.
Mathe had not confirmed Ifemetu’s status, despite its being a key fact for a bail application.
Only Smith and Ogbozor told the court their version of the story on Wednesday, before proceedings were adjourned and the application was postponed until September 1. - The Star