Underworld dik ding Colin Booysen, who was re-arrested last week for allegedly intimidating witnesses, was released at the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
This after the investigating officer was found to have nailed him on a false charge.
Booysen, the brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, and co-accused Calvin Abels and Vuyisane Macingwane each face a charge of murder.
Booysen was freed on R10 000, while Abels and Macingwane are out on R5 000.
The murder charge follows the shooting of 26s gangster Adrian “Adie” Pieters who was killed after he allegedly opened fired on Booysen in Jacaranda Street, Belhar in September.
Booysen handed himself over to Mfuleni SAPS last week after he heard he was being sought and had been in custody since.
During the two-day bail application, Booysen’s defence, Advocate Brendale Abrahams, brought forth a cellphone recording proving he had not gone to the witness, but rather the witness had approached him.
In the recording, between Booysen and an unknown male caller, Booysen can be heard telling someone in his presence: “Die ding wat jy nou doen is mos verkeerd. Jy weet mos ek mag nie met jou praat nie. Maar, ja, ek mag mos nie met jou praat nie.”
Booysen then tells the person on the call: “Die laaitie wat ' * saak gemaak het teen my kom nou hier na my toe. Nou lyk dit amper ek het met hom gepraat. Ek mag mos nie met hom praat nie, man.”
Abrahams confirmed his client’s immediate release: “The court found that the conduct of the State and police to be malicious. The investigating officer will also be removed from the case as he is found to be biased towards my client.”
robin.francke@inl.co.za