University of Fort Hare (UFH) staff members and Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes’s former bodyguard Anwar Khan are among 15 more suspects who appeared at the heavily guarded Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.
The suspects, facing charges of fraud, racketeering and corruption, were remanded and are expected back in court on Wednesday for formal bail applications.
Police national top brass including Minister Bheki Cele, commissioner Fannie Masemola and UFH vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu were among those who attended court proceedings.
The arrests were made by the national police task team in various provinces including Gauteng, the Eastern and Western Cape as well as KwaZulu-Natal over the Easter weekend.
The accused are: Isaac Plaatjies, Anna Smith, Paul Tladi, Lucrecia Davids, Mbulelo Gingcana, Louis Mawila, Nozuko Mabombo, Gosain van der Haar, Thamsanqa Sonjica, Terrence Joubert, Bradley Conradie, Sarah Burger, Craig Retief, Nthabiseng Makhoba and Khan.
Khan, who is the owner of The Pentagon Group, a private security agency based in KZN, was AKA’s bodyguard for years.
Khan has attended the bail application of the suspects arrested for AKA’s murder in Durban, Florida Road in February 2023. He previously told “IOL” that he believed the true mastermind behind AKA’s death was still at large.
Masemola said: “The team has been hard at work in getting to the bottom of who is behind fraud, corruption and the murders at the university. They will continue to investigate and hunt those who are found to have had a hand in any wrongdoing. Our focus is to bring before court a case that will be able to stand in court with all the evidence that has been collected by the team.”
To date, a total of 25 people were arrested linked to crimes at the University of Fort Hare, with some facing murder and attempted murder charges.
Many of the suspects believed to be linked to a fraud and tender corruption syndicate are former staff members of the university, former cops and students.
Violence and tragic incidents at UFH include the murder of Buhlungu’s personal protector Mboneli Vesele and fleet manager Petrus Roets.
Houses where some senior management reside were also shot at.
Cape Times