STOLEN STASH: Phala Phala: Two convicted despite ‘poor’ probe into $580,000 theft
No fingerprints, no usable footage and a criminal case opened two years later. Yet six years after $580,000 was stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm, two accused have been found guilty and one walks free.
Two men accused of stealing $580,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm have been found guilty, while a third person was acquitted. The theft, which occurred in February 2020, involved hiding the cash inside a couch at the Limpopo farm. Imanuwela David and Floriana Joseph were convicted of conspiracy to commit housebreaking and theft.
Joseph's brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was found not guilty of all charges. The State's case was built around the discovery of the money by Floriana, who alerted her brother, and David's knowledge of the burglary plans. During the trial, evidence was presented showing David's extravagant spending, including luxury vehicles, dental grills, a property in Rustenburg, and a Mercedes-Benz for his girlfriend.
Magistrate Peter Manthata ruled that David was the one who purchased the vehicles using US dollars and that he had additional funds deposited into his account during the Covid-19 pandemic. David's defense argued that his wealth came from business interests and his uncle's construction company, but the court did not accept this explanation.
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