- The murder of an accused in the Steriod King murder case will not significantly impact court proceedings, the National Prosecuting Authority says.
- Jason Maits was shot dead in Mitchells Plain earlier this month.
- In February, fellow accused William Stevens was shot dead outside his home.
An apparent hit on an accused in the so-called Steroid King murder case will not derail the case, regional National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila has assured.
Jason Maits, 27, was shot and killed in front of a house in Pruim Street, Mitchells Plain on Friday, 5 March, at 09:00.
"Mitchells Plain police are investigating a murder case after a shooting incident…Circumstances surrounding this shooting incident is under investigation," police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said.
According to a Netwerk24 report, Maits, who has allegedly been linked to the 27s gang, was killed by someone he knew.
Maits was one of 16 people arrested in connection with the murder of Wainstein, a suspected international steroid smuggler dubbed the Steroid King. Wainstein was shot at his Constantia home in front of his partner and a 2-year-old child on 18 August 2017.
Among the accused are alleged underworld figures, Mark Lifman and Jerome Booysen.
Maits was released on R5 000 bail after appearing in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 11 February. He is the second accused to have been killed in an apparent hit.
Fellow accused, William Stevens, was shot dead outside his home in on Monday, 1 February.
The Wainstein murder case is expected to resume on 12 May and the NPA says it is unlikely that the deaths will have an impact on proceedings.
"The death of an accused has limited consequences for the case as the evidence remains the evidence and each accused person is implicated by evidence related to their involvement in the crimes," Ntabazalila said.
While the focus is on the murder of Wainstein, the case involves a range of conspiracies and crimes committed between April and November 2017.
"The profiles of the accused in this matter are those of gang and organised crime figures and as such, they are at risk of assassination," Ntabazalila added.
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