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2nd Staggie accused 'certain'
22/05/2007 13:41 - (SA)
Cape Town - It was "pretty certain" that a second person would join Hard Livings gang boss Rashied Staggie in the dock on a murder charge, the Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Anthony Stephen made the announcement when he applied - successfully - for the case against Staggie to be posptoned to August 27.
Staggie, currently serving jail time for other offences including rape and firearms charges, has been charged with the 1996 slaying of a Pagad member in apparent revenge for the killing of his brother Rashaad.
Without naming the second suspect, Stephen told the court the man was arrested last month.
The provincial directorate of prosecutions had not yet made a formal decision, but it was "pretty certain" the man would be joined as an accused, very possibly on the same charges Staggie was facing, Stephen said.
Mashonga to be used as state witness
This complicated the case, and required more preparation.
In an affidavit handed to the court Staggie, who opposed the postponement, named the second man as Eugene Mashonga.
According to the indictment, Mashonga was one of four hitmen Staggie hired to kill those he believed were involved in Rashaad's July 1996 murder.
Staggie said adding Mashonga was no reason for a postponement, as Mashonga was already in custody and could be brought before the court without delay.
Legal representation could be arranged for him very quickly, and the case, insofar as Mashonga's involvement was concerned, was not complicated.
He said one of his legal team was told by a prosecutor last month that Mashonga was going to be used as a state witness against him.
He believed the state was now still trying to get Mashonga's "co-operation".
Staggie also said that he himself had been approached by police investigators behind the backs of his legal representatives.
"I was among other things offered a 'deal' in this case if I would give my 'co-operation' in connection with information they wanted from me," he said.
The postponement was granted by judge Deon van Zyl.
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