The Durban High Court has heard that R803,455 was transferred from Bright Circle's FNB account to Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni's personal FNB account just over a minute after landing. This was revealed by FNB employee Ashley Wilson, who testified about the movement of money following the murders of rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane. The payment into Bright Circle's account came from another FNB account with the reference "transport".
The court heard that the money was subsequently split into several transfers over a period spanning roughly 6pm to shortly after 8pm on the day after the murders. The transactions carried references that appeared to describe ordinary personal expenses. Gwabeni, whom the State alleges acted as a money distributor among the accused, transferred a combined R133,000 to four of his co-accused: Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande, and Malusi Ndimande.
The payments carried references including dividends, wedding things, taxi loan, buying cows, and Gwabs Mining. Siyanda Eddie Myeza, whom the State alleges supplied the firearms used by the shooters, was the only accused who did not feature in the transfers from Gwabeni's account. Bright Circle's sole director is Mfundo Gcaba, a member of the prominent KwaZulu-Natal Gcaba family, which has links to the taxi industry.
The company and its relationship with Gwabeni featured during the accused's 2024 bail application, when Gwabeni told the court that he had a business relationship with Bright Circle and that the money paid into his account was for services rendered. His bail application was unsuccessful. Wilson told the court that Malusi Ndimande was the only accused who received his money in a single payment, deposited into his Capitec Bank account with the reference "six months salary".
Before Wilson took the stand, Capitec Bank forensic analyst Ashley Soomaroo had taken the court through bank statements reflecting R33,000 deposits into some of the accused's Capitec accounts. The deposits matched the smaller of the two payments Gwabeni had made from his FNB account. Soomaroo's evidence also showed that one of the payments went into the Capitec account of Mkhwanazi's wife.
The trial continues, with the court hearing testimony from various witnesses. The seven men charged with the murders of AKA and Tibz have been consulting with their lawyers as witnesses from the banks testified about transactions that happened after the two friends were killed. The court has also heard that the total amount reflected in Bright Circle's account was more than R822,000.
The origin of the funds before the payment into Bright Circle's account remains unclear, as Wilson's testimony did not establish who had initiated it. The case continues to unfold, with the State presenting its evidence against the accused.
Key points
- R803,455 was transferred from Bright Circle's account to Gwabeni's account within minutes of landing.
- The money was subsequently split into several transfers to the accused, with references to ordinary personal expenses.
- The trial continues, with the court hearing testimony from various witnesses.
