A 45-year-old fugitive is expected to appear in the Knysna Regional Court on Thursday in connection with a cash-in-transit robbery that happened six years ago.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said Thembisile Zini handed himself over at the George police station on Monday.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said Zini had evaded his trial and had been on the run for more than a year.
The Thembalethu Regional Court sentenced his two co-accused, Mnqobi Mahlangu and Lungile Seti, to 15 years behind bars earlier this year.
“The alleged heist occurred in George during 2008, where the trio alleged that they were accosted by armed suspects and robbed of approximately R2.6 million in cash. Preliminary investigations revealed this to be a possibly staged robbery.”
Ramovha said Zini “cracked” during a police interrogation and revealed where they had hidden the money.
The trio was arrested, and subsequently released on bail, but Zini went on the run.
“Fearing that the Hawks were closing in on him, the accused handed himself in,” Ramovha said.
Zini will appear in court on Thursday where he faces charges of theft and contempt of court.
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