- A lawyer representing kidnapping-accused Mozambican businessman Esmael Malude Ramos Nangy, says his client denies any involvement in the crimes.
- He claims Nangy's employee in Mozambique used a vehicle registered in Nangy's name to commit the crimes on which Nangy is accused.
- According to him, the mechanic was arrested in Mozambique.
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 that the mechanic used a business vehicle registered in his name to kidnap several people.
Police in Mozambique have since arrested the mechanic.
"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 said on Monday.
The arrest of Esmael Malude Ramos Nangy (50) is a major breakthrough. He has been linked to kidnappings over some years. The possibility that he had a hand in some major kidnappings in South Africa has not ruled out. https://t.co/B0rd7BTOPR pic.twitter.com/ftfGPtzuCu
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) January 8, 2023
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," he said.