'Gun smugglers' case delay

Proceedings against alleged gun smugglers Alan Raves and Irshaad Laher were postponed on Friday because Raves was too ill to attend court.

The two suspects were expected to receive their charges at the pre-trial proceedings at the Western Cape High Court.

They are facing charges of corruption, money laundering, theft of firearms and ammunition as well as the possession of prohibited firearms and racketeering.

Previously, it was revealed that Raves spent time in hospital because he suffers from multi-organ dysfunction, he was on a ventilator and underwent dialysis.

The case has been remanded to May 12 for pre-trial hearings.

Laher, a prominent businessman, is accused of buying over 2000 firearms, meant for destruction, from convicted cop, Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo.

He allegedly bought the guns for R100 each, selling them at a marked-up price of R4500, raking in a R9 million profit.

Prinsloo, who is serving an 18-year prison term, is expected to testify against Laher during the trial.

Laher was released on R100 000 bail following his arrest in June last year.

Raves was arrested in August 2015 after several guns, including assault rifles, were seized.

Meanwhile anti-firearm organisation, Gun Free South Africa, says they hope the truth of the illegal gun trade will be revealed during the trial.

Director, Adele Kirsten, says: “Gun trade is legal, because countries trade with each other. The danger is when legal trade meets illegal trade.

“It is in the interest of the public and justice to know who and where his guns were moved to, which people it killed.

"Are the 2500 guns the only guns he moved?”