-
[FILE] Court gavel
Taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni and his two co-accused, Daniel Masilela and Philemon Msiza, are expected to apply for bail in the Kwaggafontein Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga on Friday.
They face charges of extortion and two counts of money laundering.
The trio made their first court appearance on Wednesday, where the matter was postponed for the allocation of a new presiding officer.
It is alleged that the trio forced a Mpumalanga businessman to pay large sums of money over several years, before he reported the matter to the police in November last year.
The State alleges that the offences took place between 2022 and 2025 in the Nkangala District, where the trio are accused of forcing the businessman to pay so-called protection fees of more than 2.2 million rand.
The State further alleges that the victim was threatened with the closure of his business operations should he refuse to comply with the demands.
Prosecutors say the money was deposited into the accused’s bank accounts and was thereafter allegedly moved through several accounts in an attempt to launder the funds.
Video | Prominent Mpumalanga taxi boss and two others appear in court over extortion:
