The Hawks have denied manufacturing a case against two men accused of trafficking women to Cape Town to work as sex slaves.
This was revealed at the Western Cape High Court on Monday as brothers Edward and Yannick Ayuk returned to the dock amid the cross-examination of warrant officer Shane Pamplin.
Last month court documents lifted the lid on the investigations into alleged pimps and the operations at brothels in the Mother City.
Along with Edward’s wife Leandre Williams, the trio face over 40 charges of allegedly operating a brothel in Milnerton where they allegedly forced unsuspecting victims to use drugs and work as prostitutes.
Recent proceedings have seen a series of documents pointing to a possible conspiracy after Edward allegedly reported a police officer for interfering in an investigation.
According to court documents, Ayuk opened a case of theft after his car was allegedly stolen by Zain Samuels in 2017.
Samuels was later arrested by cops while driving the stolen vehicle in Malmesbury and taken to Maitland police station.
Through his lawyer, advocate Bashier Sibda, Ayuk claimed he lodged a complaint when it was revealed that Zain’s brother, sergeant Clinton Felix, had allegedly assigned the docket to himself.
Ayuk claimed that as a result of this complaint, he was later arrested and prosecuted on a klomp charges relating to running a brothel.
Pamplin was called to the stand where under cross-examination it was revealed that he knew Felix as he had investigated him two years ago, and surveilled several properties owned by Felix and established there was prostitution and possible drug sales.
He testified that he applied for search warrants at the Cape Town Magistrates Court but these were refused.
During proceedings, Sibda told Pamplin that he would argue that the case against Ayuk was brought because of his dispute with Felix as the court had heard that officers told liegstories.
And later it was revealed that Felix was also present on the day Edward was arrested.
“I am going to argue that Felix was instrumental in bringing these false charges against my client.
“They even came a few months later and arrested Yannick because they thought the two are brothers, they are not.”
It was later revealed that they are cousins.
Pamplin told the court that the existing case against Ayuk was registered several months earlier than his case against Samuels.
“There was already a case made against the accused in the Springbok matter and now I am being accused of manufacturing a case against him,” Pamplin explained.
The trial continues.
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