Daily roll call of arrests, NPA prosecutions and convictions — 3 February 2022

• Northern Cape 

The Northern Cape High Court in Upington found Enrich Williams (35) and Amatle Bareki (25) guilty of murdering well-known Pofadder hotelier Leon Brits. The pair were charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of firearms. They pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

Williams and Bareki were accused of being the hitmen hired to kill Brits on 7 October 2020. Brits’ body had been found in a swimming pool in one of his properties.

The two were arrested after the coordinator of the murder, Jacques van Vuuren, was arrested in the Western Cape, following an intensive investigation by the SAPS.

The two other conspirators in Brits’ killing — his wife Suretha Brits, and Van Vuuren — were earlier sentenced by the high court after pleading guilty. Suretha Brits was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for her role in the murder. Van Vuuren, who was asked by Suretha Brits to find the hitmen to kill her husband, later became a key State witness and was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended.

During the trial of Williams and Bareki, which began on 22 November 2021 and concluded on 3 February 2022, the prosecution was led by advocate Hannes Cloete.

On the first count of murder, Judge Stanley O’Brien sentenced Williams and Bareki to life imprisonment. On count two, the court sentenced both to 15 years, and on count three they were sentenced to 10 years.

The court indicated that counts two and three should run concurrently with count one.. DM