Two alleged murderers of a taxi owner are due to make their second appearance before court for a formal bail application on Tuesday, 23 February 2021. Their appearance follows a deadly act in which a 34-year-old taxi owner was gunned down last week in Barberton. The two men aged 34 and 55, were then arrested at Nelspruit and Barberton respectively on Tuesday, 16 February 2021, after police investigation pointed out that they are somehow involved in the said murder.
Their arrest was informed by details of an incident that occurred on the evening of 12 February 2021, where a taxi owner had parked his Toyota Quantum kombi at the house of a certain motor mechanic and when he alighted, an armed man emerged out of nowhere. Without uttering a word, the gun-wielding man fired a shot aimed at the victim and thereafter fled the scene.
Police as well as paramedics were notified during that time about the incident and upon arrival, the victim was unfortunately certified dead at the scene. A case was then opened with the commencement of an intensive investigation hence the arrests.
The suspects have made their first appearance before the Barberton Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Thursday 18 February 2021, where their case was postponed to the said date. Both men were remanded in custody.
Police are proceeding with their investigation and no stone will be left unturned. One of the suspects is a Correctional Service official stationed at Barberton Prison and police are optimistic that the arrest will assist in cracking other criminal cases opened pertinent to taxi feud in the area.