Police are working to bring down Morake Samuel Maluleke‚ Pretoria’s own alleged “Al Capone”‚ by reviving at least a dozen cases against him.
Maluleke was nabbed after posting pictures and videos of himself posing with a rifle and a large amount of cash.
Maluleke‚ 36‚ currently has a total of 12 cases pending against him: three of murder‚ three of hijacking‚ two of possession of stolen vehicles‚ possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition‚ one of escaping from custody and one of possession of house robbery equipment.
On Tuesday he appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court‚ west of Pretoria‚ on fresh charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The case was postponed to September 28 for Maluleke to choose between two lawyers sent by his relatives and for an identity parade related to a case that could be added to his other charges.
A police officer who is part of the investigating team said the previous 12 charges against Maluleke were mysteriously withdrawn.
“We are working on those cases in detail. All in all‚ we are looking at a total of 24 cases‚ including the ones that are pending and the ones that were withdrawn under questionable circumstances‚” he said.
The withdrawn charges include three of murder‚ one of armed robbery during a cash-in-transit heist and several of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition‚ as well as possession of a stolen vehicle.
He alleged that the charges were withdrawn despite the fact that stolen vehicles were found at his home in the Brazzaville informal settlement.
“We have identified three more members of his group (Team Volt SA) that we believe were also linked to some of the cases against him and their arrests are imminent‚” the police officer said.
Maluleke‚ who is infamous in the township‚ shot to national fame this month after bragging about his large amounts of cash.
In one of the videos‚ Maluleke can be seen waving a wad of cash‚ saying in Setswana: “People say Maluleke does not have money. What is this?”
He goes on to say: “They say (mining magnate Patrice) Motsepe has money but I have never seen him carrying so many bundles … People have figures in the bank‚ I have money in my hands.”
This grabbed the attention of Police Minister Fikile Mbalula‚ resulting in police raiding his house and allegedly finding a Z88 pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition.
Residents of Atteridgeville allege that Team Volt SA is a group of known criminals who show off their ill-gotten wealth and brandish guns. Rival groups do the same.
A local man close to the group said they “go around night clubs buying the most expensive drinks and throwing money to patrons. Sammy (Maluleke) is the most extravagant and feared member of the group.”
He said the name of the group was derived from township slang for money‚ or “volts”.
Last weekend The Times visited at least three clubs in Sunnyside and Pretoria city centre said to be frequented by the group.
Though Team Volt SA members were not in any of the clubs‚ patrons and staff members told of how they buy the most expensive drinks on the menu‚ only to spill them.
A waiter at a Sunnyside club said he was shocked when one night about six of them bought bottles of Hennessy cognac and competed on who would spill his the quickest.
“I thought I had seen enough but then they opened a sports bag full of R200 notes and started throwing it up. There was almost a stampede as patrons and staff members scrambled for the flying notes‚” she said.
The group is also said to pay bouncers to walk into the clubs with their guns.
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
Meet the 'Al Capone' of Atteridgeville
Maluleke was nabbed after posting pictures and videos of himself posing with a rifle and a large amount of cash.
Maluleke‚ 36‚ currently has a total of 12 cases pending against him: three of murder‚ three of hijacking‚ two of possession of stolen vehicles‚ possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition‚ one of escaping from custody and one of possession of house robbery equipment.
On Tuesday he appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court‚ west of Pretoria‚ on fresh charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The case was postponed to September 28 for Maluleke to choose between two lawyers sent by his relatives and for an identity parade related to a case that could be added to his other charges.
A police officer who is part of the investigating team said the previous 12 charges against Maluleke were mysteriously withdrawn.
“We are working on those cases in detail. All in all‚ we are looking at a total of 24 cases‚ including the ones that are pending and the ones that were withdrawn under questionable circumstances‚” he said.
The withdrawn charges include three of murder‚ one of armed robbery during a cash-in-transit heist and several of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition‚ as well as possession of a stolen vehicle.
He alleged that the charges were withdrawn despite the fact that stolen vehicles were found at his home in the Brazzaville informal settlement.
“We have identified three more members of his group (Team Volt SA) that we believe were also linked to some of the cases against him and their arrests are imminent‚” the police officer said.
Maluleke‚ who is infamous in the township‚ shot to national fame this month after bragging about his large amounts of cash.
In one of the videos‚ Maluleke can be seen waving a wad of cash‚ saying in Setswana: “People say Maluleke does not have money. What is this?”
He goes on to say: “They say (mining magnate Patrice) Motsepe has money but I have never seen him carrying so many bundles … People have figures in the bank‚ I have money in my hands.”
This grabbed the attention of Police Minister Fikile Mbalula‚ resulting in police raiding his house and allegedly finding a Z88 pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition.
Residents of Atteridgeville allege that Team Volt SA is a group of known criminals who show off their ill-gotten wealth and brandish guns. Rival groups do the same.
A local man close to the group said they “go around night clubs buying the most expensive drinks and throwing money to patrons. Sammy (Maluleke) is the most extravagant and feared member of the group.”
He said the name of the group was derived from township slang for money‚ or “volts”.
Last weekend The Times visited at least three clubs in Sunnyside and Pretoria city centre said to be frequented by the group.
Though Team Volt SA members were not in any of the clubs‚ patrons and staff members told of how they buy the most expensive drinks on the menu‚ only to spill them.
A waiter at a Sunnyside club said he was shocked when one night about six of them bought bottles of Hennessy cognac and competed on who would spill his the quickest.
“I thought I had seen enough but then they opened a sports bag full of R200 notes and started throwing it up. There was almost a stampede as patrons and staff members scrambled for the flying notes‚” she said.
The group is also said to pay bouncers to walk into the clubs with their guns.
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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