Phala Phala: Money ‘used to buy property’

Imanuwela David, the man accused of being the mastermind behind the February 2020 theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s house, at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo allegedly used some of the stolen money to buy a property.

This emerged during David’s bail application before the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court.

Investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Ludi Rolf Schnell revealed these details when he testified on how David, 39, was tracked and arrested last month.

He said after searching for David in Cape Town, he was finally found in a Ford Figo that was parked along the street at night, just metres away from his mother Amalia David’s house in Rustenburg.

In his oral evidence, Schnell said police have established that a house at Burgundy Estate, Cape Town, was purchased by David’s ex-girlfriend Penelope Mongalo, but David made a partial down-payment to secure the unit – even though the bond is in Mongalo’s name.

While hunting for David in the Western Cape, police also established that the wanted man had purchased a house in Tlhabane West, Rustenburg.

Police said the property was purchased on March 17, 2020 at a price of R980 000.

“This transaction was flagged by the Financial Intelligence Centre as a suspicious transaction and the purchase of this property was facilitated using illicit funds stolen during the housebreaking at Phala Phala,” said Schnell.

In 2022, the house was transferred into the name of a Namibian national Hafeni Felish for an undisclosed amount.

David is charged alongside siblings Froliana Joseph, who was a domestic worker at the Phala Phala farm and her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph.

The Joseph siblings were released on bail last month. The State did not oppose bail, and it was set at R5 000 for Froliana and R10 000 for Ndilinasho.

They were ordered to hand over their passports and they may not leave the Bela-Bela area without informing the police.

Schnell said the police were opposed to bail for David.

The investigating officer gave oral evidence before magistrate Predeshni Ponnan.

Schnell narrated to the court how he and his police colleague cornered and arrested David at Tlhabane West in the Rustenburg area on November 5.

Before the arrest, police had also established that David is also known as Collins or Atileni.

David, giving evidence in the bail application, testified that he had no other assets besides a shack and two dogs.

The three suspects are facing several charges in connection with the theft of $580 000 (around R10.87 million) on February 9, 2020, at the president’s farmhouse.

The three accused are charged with housebreaking and the theft. David faces an additional charge of money laundering.

Magistrate Predeshni Ponnan is expected to rule on Friday on David’s bail application.

The Mercury