The Durban High Court has heard that a significant amount of money, R803,455, was transferred from Bright Circle's FNB account to Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni's personal FNB account within one minute and 24 seconds of landing. This revelation was made by FNB employee Ashley Wilson, who testified about the movement of money in the hours following the murders of rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane. The transfer occurred on the day after the murders, which took place on Florida road in February 2023.
According to Wilson, the R803,455 payment into Bright Circle's account came from another FNB account with the reference "transport". However, Wilson's testimony did not establish the origin of the money before that payment or who had initiated it, leaving unanswered questions about the source of the funds. The total amount reflected in Bright Circle's account was more than R822,000. Wilson's testimony provided insight into the movement of money in the aftermath of the murders.
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. Gwabeni's role as a money distributor is a key aspect of the State's case against him and the other accused. The seven men charged with the murders of AKA and Tibz are consulting with their lawyers as witnesses from the banks testify about transactions that happened after the two friends were killed.
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 controversial and 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.
During the bail application, 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. However, his bail application was unsuccessful. Wilson also testified 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".
The trial continues with further testimony from bank employees, including Capitec Bank forensic analyst Ashley Soomaroo, who took 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. The court will likely hear more evidence as the trial progresses.
Key points
- R803,455 was transferred from Bright Circle's FNB account to murder accused Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni shortly after AKA and Tibz's murders.
- The money was subsequently split into several transfers to four of Gwabeni's co-accused, with references including dividends and taxi loan.
- The trial continues with further testimony from bank employees and forensic analysts.
