A Mozambican businessman who was arrested in South Africa in connection with a spate of kidnappings in his home country, claims that a mechanic he employs committed the crimes of which he is accused.
Businessman Esmael Malude Ramos Nangy appeared in the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on Monday after he was arrested at his Centurion home over the weekend. He faces several charges of kidnapping.
Nangy owns several trucks and operates a business between Mozambique and South Africa, where he has permanent residency.
According to his lawyer, Calvin Maile, it is Nangy's case he was arrested for crimes allegedly committed by one of his employees, a mechanic. Maile said as far as they understood the claim it's alleged the mechanic used a business vehicle registered in Nangy's to kidnap several people.
Police in Mozambique have since arrested the mechanic. Maile said:
“The allegations have not been ventilated in court. All we know at this point is that my client's employee, a mechanic, was arrested on these charges in Mozambique. The allegations are that the motor vehicle he used was involved in kidnappings. My client owns that vehicle.”
Maile added that Nangy was in South Africa at the time that the kidnappings occurred. He questioned the basis of his client's arrest for crimes in which he denied having any hand.
He said Nangy appeared to be accused of issuing the kidnapping instruction to his employee. He could not confirm how many victims there were or what their genders are.
The case was postponed to 16 January.
“He is still in custody because we have not proceeded with the bail application. I understand that the Director of Public Prosecutions will be sending a senior advocate to deal with the matter.”
