Durban: Inderan Naicker, the brother of Sandra Munsamy who was rescued after being kidnapped and held captive for 162 days, has testified that he tried to negotiate over WhatsApp for the ransom amount to be reduced.
Munsamy, 46, the chief financial officer of her family’s transport and construction business, XMoor Transport, was allegedly forced off a road in Pinetown and taken at gunpoint on May 30, 2019.
The mother of two was held captive for 162 days at a house in Emalahleni (Witbank) in Mpumalanga, while her alleged kidnappers demanded a $10 million ransom.
She was rescued during a joint operation by members of law enforcement on November 7, 2019.
Lucas John Ndlovu, 36, Dumisani Radebe, 39, both of Mpumalanga, and Mozambican-nationals, Jose Omega Tembe, 38, and Arthur Da Silva Mondlane, 36, both of Gauteng, were arrested. They were charged with kidnapping and attempted extortion in November 2019.
Radebe, Tembe and Mondlane were also charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Tembe and Mondlane were further charged with Contravention of the Immigration Act - for entering or remaining in South Africa without a valid permit.
During their trial in the Durban High Court on Monday, Naicker, one of the directors at Xmoor Transport, said a friend gave him a number of the alleged kidnappers. Naicker said the kidnappers contacted the friend in June 2019.
He said on Truecaller, the number was listed with the name “Moosa Uber”.
Naicker said he bought a new phone and created a WhatsApp, as he did not have the app on his phone. He said he then sent a message to the number and received a call back from Munsamy.
“I asked her how she was. She replied that she was okay, but I could hear in her voice that she wasn't. Then I asked her what these guys wanted. I could hear her asking somebody, but I couldn't hear the other person.
"She then replied to me that they wanted $10 million. I told her, you know we don't have this kind of money and she said she told them so. Then I asked her what's the way forward, and she replied that they will come back to me.”
Naicker said a few days later, he received a call asking if he had the money.
“There was a call. A person sounded very distorted on the other side. I told that person we did not have that kind of money. He said once I have that amount, I must let him know. I could tell it was a male, with a sort-of foreign accent.”
Naicker said WhatsApp communication continued over the next few months and the demand for the ransom intensified.
He said in August 2019, he informed the alleged kidnappers that he was able to pay a lump sum of R5 million and R2 million for a period of five months.
“I received a response on August 28 with the words 'no deal'.”
Naicker said in September 2019 he proposed that he would pay R7 million upfront, R2 million for a period of five months and a further R1 million for a period of seven months.
He said they responded: “My friend this is very low… You know how much we asked for… ?”
Naicker said by October, the alleged kidnappers' demands had grown and turned threatening.
He said in a message, they said they were tired of his stories and Munsamy, and that "she will pay".
Naicker said his understanding of that was that they were getting tired of waiting and were going to kill or hurt his sister.
He said he offered them R21 million and offered to pay a further R9 million at the end of the month. Naicker said they did not budge and informed that there would not be further communication until he had the money.
Naicker said in October 2019, they told him that if he could get $8 million they would talk then, not less.
He said on November 6, 2019, he offered R30 million and a further R5 million to follow in payments of R2.5 million over a two month period. Naicker said on November 7, he received a message from the alleged kidnappers that they would speak to the “Big Boss” about the deal.
Naicker said Munsamy was rescued that same evening.
Intelligence-driven operation
In court on Tuesday, it emerged that Munsamy was rescued following an intelligence-driven, multi-disciplinary operation.
In his evidence-in-chief, Brigadier Gopal Govender, the National Coordinator of Kidnapping and Ransom cases at the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), said he received intelligence information from a source in Gauteng on November 5, 2019.
He said it was alleged the group responsible for Munsamy's kidnapping was part of a kidnapping syndicate led by two Mozambican nationals.
Govender said he was given a detailed description of the alleged suspects, their vehicles and their bodily and facial description.
He said on November 7, 2019, through the efforts of a dedicated multidisciplinary task team, the alleged suspects' vehicles - a Mercedes C43 and Mercedes C63 - were located at a mall in Gauteng.
Govender said a technical surveillance team was sent to the mall. He said when he arrived, he parked in the basement parking lot next to the Mercedes C43.
All the tactical vehicles were parked in a pattern to prevent them from being driven away.
He said he noticed gym clothing and a protein shake bottle in each of the vehicles and then went to the gym in the mall.
Govender said he identified two males fitting the description.
He said he then returned to the parking lot and informed the tactical team.
“I briefed them and put them in operational readiness, pending the arrival of the two males to the vehicles.”
Muscle vests and track pants
After 30 minutes both men emerged dressed in muscle vests and track pants with towels over their shoulders.
“They proceeded towards the vehicles and we continued monitoring. They stood behind the C43 and were conversing with each other. After quite a few good minutes, the tall male with tattoos on his arms jumped into C43 and the shorter male into the C63.
“I immediately gave the operational-tactical command to the SWAT team. The SWAT team immediately debus (took out/removed) both drivers and restrained them to the ground. The necessary restraint had to be used to handcuff them due to their resistance."
Govender said he identified himself and read the two men their rights. They were also searched and four phones as well other items that were seized.
He said the men (Tembe and Mondlane) were informed of the charges and that Tembe spoke fluent English and told him he would cooperate.
Govender said a crowd had gathered and he decided to move the team, the suspects and the seized items to a nearby police station where interviews were conducted with both men.
He said he then searched through a Samsung phone that was found on Tembe. Govender said the phone had a WhatsApp chat with communication between Munsamy's brother and the person demanding ransom.
"The WhatsApp chat details the historical information. I immediately engaged the accused with regards to the WhatsApp content. He immediately agreed that it was his phone and his temperament at that point changed. He was more calm and mentioned certain things…”
A trial-within-a-trial commenced on Tuesday where Govender was questioned regarding the manner in which the statements were taken and interviews conducted with Tembe and Mondlane.
The trial continues.
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