The prosecution of alleged underworld kingpins in the Mother City took centre stage at the Western Cape High Court last week amid concerns over high-profile trials running simultaneously.
This was revealed on Friday at the pre-trial of alleged Sexy Boys gang boss Jerome “Donkie” Booysen on drug dealing charges.
Booysen is accused of running a mandrax syndicate but the case was hamstrung as Judge Robert Henney questioned why the State had opted to enrol two trials involving the accused at the same time.
Booysen along with Kenneth Hansen, Kristo Mariens, Clinton Langeveld, Jennen Jansen and Herbert Zoutman were busted in 2021 by the Hawks after calls relating to alleged drug drops were intercepted. They face over 90 charges which include drug trafficking. According to the charge sheet, they allegedly ran the “Jerome Booysen Enterprise” between February 2013 and November 2017.
It is alleged that mandrax was being smokkeled from three properties in Durbanville and Bellville, to more than 90 properties in Kasselsvlei, Bellville and Glenhaven.
Donkie seemed kwaad when State prosecutor Blaine Lazarus asked for the matter to be postponed to 2025.
This request comes as Booysen is expected to appear in the same court next year alongside alleged underworld kingpin Mark Lifman on a klomp charges including murder.
Henney halted proceedings for Lazarus to take instructions from his bosses about the possibility of placing the mandrax trial on hold but upon his return, Lazarus said he was instructed to ask for a later date. The defence teams objected, saying their clients were being prejudiced.
But Henney explained that this would not be the first time the State prosecutes the same accused in two trials.
“These accused are going nowhere. This is a matter of logic and common sense. When you enrol two matters involving one accused, how did you foresee the trials would run?”
He postponed the matter to February 23 2024 for another pre-trial.The defence team was granted permission to lodge an inquiry into whether or not the Mandrax case should be scrapped in the meantime.
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