AKA Murder Case: Bheki Cele’s Flight To Durban for Press Conference Costs R176k
Minister of Police Bheki Cele has disclosed that his department shelled out hundreds of thousands flying him and his officials to attend the media conference in Durban.
The trip, which followed the arrest of five suspects in the murder case of Kiernan Forbes, also known as AKA, rang up a bill of R176,000.
Forbes was tragically gunned down outside a restaurant alongside his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in February of last year.
Using a South African Police Service (SAPS) Cessna Sovereign, Cele and his crew made the two-hour flight to Durban, situated along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, where they announced the arrest of the suspects.
Present alongside the minister were his senior officials, who shared in the briefing where Cele disclosed the hefty expenditure. Additionally, two other suspects remain in Eswatini, and efforts are underway to extradite them to South Africa to face murder charges.
The disclosed cost encompasses various expenses including fuel, airplane maintenance, labor, and other undisclosed costs.
“Variable cost includes fuel, airframe maintenance, labour and parts, engine restoration and miscellaneous cost,” said Cele.
This revelation came in response to a written inquiry posed by Democratic Alliance member of parliament Okkie Terblanche.
The suspects, nabbed at the end of February during Cele’s briefing in Durban, have since applied for bail. Among the five suspects currently in court are Lindokuhle Ndimande, Lindani Ndimande, Siyanda Myeza, Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, and Mziwetbemba Gwabeni.
Meanwhile, efforts continue to bring Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande, arrested in the neighboring state of Eswatini, back to South Africa for legal proceedings.
