PASTOR and leader of Active African Christian United Movement, Benjamin Moafrika Maila was granted free bail together with his four accused.
All five accused, Maila (39), Sello Seefane (41), Elias Chabalala (40), Isaac Mogotsi (33) and Paul Mkhumise (43) appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 27 February.
They face charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, impersonating a police officer and possession of suspected stolen property.
But Maila said he suspects he was targeted because he is in politics. Maila, who is an advocate by profession, said there was no case hence they were all released on free bail.
Talking to Daily Sun, Maila said they were arrested on Sunday, 18 February around 7pm between the N4 and the R80 after the police ordered them to get out of their vehicle.
He said the cops claimed they received a tip-off that they were going to participate in a cash-in-transit heist with the two guns belonging to the two cops he was with.
"I feel this was political sabotage because all my co-accused were told to turn against me. The target was Maila in the whole matter. There's no case here and that's why we're out on free bail. The police claimed they got a tip-off that we were going to do a cash heist with the two guns belonging to the two cops I was with," he told the People’s Paper.
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He said the arrest was a political ploy to tarnish his image.
"The reason the police said we had unlicensed firearms is because the two cops who were with me had guns and they did produce their identity cards, but the police said they were not sure if they were indeed real cops. There's no case here. The detectives kept dragging and I don't know why, and they did that successfully," he said.
"People will always have opinions and conclusion. I believe the truth will come out."
He said he believed one of the reasons he got into trouble might be him offering help to families in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, who were affected by cholera.
At the time, he promised victims to do a legal draft to build a case against the state and emphasised that the matter was continuing, and more light would be shed.
The state didn't oppose the bail application, saying all the accused have no warrants of arrest against them. Magistrate Tshepo Mokome told the court the matter will be heard again on 2 May for the ballistic report to be completed.
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