Two former King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipal employees jailed five years ago after being found guilty of involvement in a plot to murder five senior ANC leaders have been released from prison.
Thembinkosi Mapeyi and Thembile Ceba had their convictions and 18 year jail sentences set aside on appeal.
The duo spent their first night at home on Tuesday after a Mthatha High Court full bench of appeal found that the trial judge had erred by not conducting a trial-within-atrial.
This was after the men’s lawyer, Pumza Malefane, had objected to the admissibility of recording evidence said to be taken by an undercover agent.
On July 19 2013, Mthatha High Court acting Judge Mandisa Kahla sentenced the pair to 18 years behind bars, three years of which were suspended for five years on condition they were not convicted of a similar crime.
Ceba was also sentenced to two years for unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
Mapeyi, who was a driver for the KSD mayor for several weeks in 2002, and Ceba had been in prison since their arrests by the Hawks in March 2011 after what was believed to be a hit list was exposed by the police.
ANC murder plot convicts freed after successful appeal
Thembinkosi Mapeyi and Thembile Ceba had their convictions and 18 year jail sentences set aside on appeal.
The duo spent their first night at home on Tuesday after a Mthatha High Court full bench of appeal found that the trial judge had erred by not conducting a trial-within-atrial.
This was after the men’s lawyer, Pumza Malefane, had objected to the admissibility of recording evidence said to be taken by an undercover agent.
On July 19 2013, Mthatha High Court acting Judge Mandisa Kahla sentenced the pair to 18 years behind bars, three years of which were suspended for five years on condition they were not convicted of a similar crime.
Ceba was also sentenced to two years for unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
Mapeyi, who was a driver for the KSD mayor for several weeks in 2002, and Ceba had been in prison since their arrests by the Hawks in March 2011 after what was believed to be a hit list was exposed by the police.
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