The suspects, from 20 to 29 years old, were intended to appear on Monday (30/6) in the Bloemfontein -Magistraathof on accusation of kidnapping and extortion.
Three were arrested in a house in Kanana, Wennen, while two others were caught on the road between Kwetla and Wennen with the alleged victim, Kamogelo Baukudi, In their company.
Sergeant Nzima Adoons will appear again in the same court on Thursday (3/6) for a further hearing.
He was taken into custody until his next appearance of the court.
“The case against the five suspects will not be registered because the investigation is underway,” says Free State NPA spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane. The court could not register the case because there is no connection between the suspects and the crime.
“In the meantime, the police officer’s guarantee has been postponed until Thursday for a further hearing.”
Adoons testified on Monday and denied knowing Baukudi, his family or something else related to the kidnapping. He also said that on the day of the kidnapping he drove through the city in an unmarked vehicle and passed through the area where Baukudi was abducted.
It was also explained to him by Mangaung Metro District Commissioner, Major Gen. Arthur Peter Adams, was positively linked to the kidnapping because of the vehicle tracker who showed that it was on stage on the day of the kidnapping.
An identity parade was also done on Sunday 8 June. “I did not point out the identity parade. I know the victim, his family or the extortion amount required of the family.”
Baukudi was found alive on Friday in Wepener (27/6), 20 days after his kidnapping, after a coordinated rescue operation under the leadership of Adams. A ransom of R7 million was demanded from his family for his release.
Lawyer Jacques Potgieter from Adriaan Janse van Rensburg represented navigated after the State had changed the indictment magazine on Sunday 22 June.
The change has redesigned the guarantee application from a schedule 1 to a schedule 5 case.
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