A murder trial involving the shooting of a steroid “kingpin” in bed at home in Constantia was postponed in Cape Town on Monday due to the assassination in broad daylight of high-profile accused Mark Lifman.
Self-proclaimed businessman and alleged underworld boss Lifman died in a hail of bullets on Sunday in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall in George, Western Cape.
Police confirmed the arrest of two men, aged 37 and 53, on Sunday afternoon near the town of Uniondale, about 110km from the crime scene.
Lifman, 57, was arrested for the murder of Brian Wainstein — gunned down in 2017 as he slept next to his wife and child — alongside Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, Andre Naude, Sam Farquharson, Egan Morgan, former police detective Wayne Henderson, Ricardo Maarman, Typhenne Jantjies, Bevan Ezaus, Bradley de Bula, Kashief Hanslo, Rowendal Stevens, Ismail Cupido and a Russian, Igor Russol.
The trial was set to resume on Monday before judge Vincent Saldanha in the Cape Town high court, but prosecutor Mervyn Menigo said: “Unfortunately, accused number one was murdered in George. His life was tragically cut short, and the SA Police Service is investigating the matter.”
Saldanha offered condolences to Lifman’s family and thanked his defence lawyer Estelle Kilian for her dedication. “The court extends its deepest condolences to the family of your client. It’s truly tragic for someone to lose their life under such circumstances,” said Saldanha.
Kilian confirmed Lifman’s death and added: “I’ll be standing down from the matter as my client is no more.”
Booysen and Naude’s lawyer Amanda Nel requested a weeklong postponement. Nel said: “Given the close relationship between the accused [it is] necessary for grieving purposes.”
The remaining suspects looked agitated and distraught in the dock on Monday. Another co-accused, Egan Norman, did not attend after being arrested for another matter and was set to appear in the Cape Town magistrate’s court.
Booysen said he was devastated by Lifman’s death. He said he had “lost a friend” whom he had known for 25 years. Naude said he too had been targeted. “There was an attempted hit on me last week.”
Saldanha postponed the case to November 11. The accused face 36 charges, including alleged contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and the murder of Wainstein.
Samane Jnr Marks and Kim Swartz
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