Gumtree accused parole may be revoked
|Published
Soegbodien Abvajee. Photo: Ian Landsberg Soegbodien Abvajee. Photo: Ian Landsberg
Cape Town - The parole of one of the accused in the Gumtree murder could be revoked, says the Correctional Services Department.
Soegbodien Abvajee, 52, is in custody along with Jason Elias, 30, and Shawaal Staggie, 26, both of Mitchells Plain, and Rameez Felix, 29, of Hazendal, in connection with the murder of Olwyn Cowley.
It is alleged the men planned Cowley’s murder and lured him to his death after responding to an advert on Gumtree, a classifieds website.
Abvajee of Hazendal, has been in and out of prison since 2000 and has previously absconded from parole. He was released on parole for the second time in April and was rearrested this month.
He was paroled from the Drakenstein Medium A Correctional Centre in line with policy for good behaviour, after rehabilitation courses and skills training.
This week, Institute for Crime Prevention and Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro) deputy CEO Celia Dawson said while prison was meant to be a place of rehabilitation, there were not enough social workers and psychologists in placefor this.
The DA’s James Selfe said there were too few parole officers to supervise parolees.
Correctional Services spokesman Koos Gerber said: “Although he [Abvajee] is still awaiting trial on the new charge, consideration is being given to revoke his parole so that he can start serving the remainder of his previous sentence as a sentenced offender.”
This would mean that, without taking off time for good behaviour, he has about seven years of prison ahead of him for the armed robbery he was convicted of in 2004.
According to Correctional Services, Abvajee was first sentenced, after being convicted of theft in 2000, to four years. Two years were suspended for five years. Nine months later he was out on parole, but absconded.
In June 2001, three months after being paroled, wearing a police uniform, he and two men robbed a liquor store in Ottery of more than R21 000. They were arrested later.
In February 2003, the police listed him as one of city’s most wanted criminals and two months later he was apprehended and sent to prison to serve out the remainder of his term.
A year later, he was convicted for armed robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Abvajee was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, and also three years for possessing a firearm and ammunition, in 2004.
Gerber said the decision to place him on parole was in line with policy and based on the fact that he had a place to stay and a support system.
lynnette.johns@inl.co.za
Cape Argus