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Accused number one in the Phala Phala farm theft trial Imanuwela David appears before the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo on 25 May 2026.
The trial for the theft of 580 000 US dollars at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020 has been postponed to the 3rd of June by the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo.
The postponement was requested by the defence team to allow the technicians to help to retrieve information from a cellphone of accused number one, Imanuwela David.
David and two siblings, Floriana Joseph and Ndilinasho Joseph, were arrested for the theft.
They face charges of theft, conspiracy to commit theft, house breaking and money laundering.
David, alleged to be the mastermind behind the theft, remains in custody while the two are out on bail.
Magistrate Peter Manthata says it will be in the interest of justice to postpone the case to allow the defense to get information from the device.
“I therefore find that it will be in the interest of justice for the matter to be postponed so that the issue of this particular cellphone device can be attended to where technicians will help in regard to that and the investigating officer has confirmed that there will help.”
During proceedings on Monday, David told the court that his visit to Bela-Bela from Cape Town in February 2020 was to attend a car show, not to steal cash from the farm.
According to a cellphone data analyst, David was the alleged mastermind of the cash theft, testifying that he was in Bela-Bela the day before and after the infamous theft at the farm.
Details in the report below:
