Faizel Patel, 2016-07-13
A defence expert has told Radio Islam that the Hawks would’ve had sufficient evidence before raiding the homes and arresting four people for alleged terrorism activities.
Twins Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Toni-Lee together with brother and sister Ibrahim and Fatima Patel were arrested at weekend after Hawks officers using informants and intelligence agents‚ infiltrated the group after learning of their plans to allegedly travel to Syria last year via Turkey.
Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Toni-Lee who have adopted the names Yaqeen and Salahuddin ibn Hernani respectively also allegedly plotted to bomb an American mission as well as Jewish cultural sites in South Africa.
Helmoed Heitman says South African intelligence services and law enforcement will have to tread carefully in their prosecution of the four so as not to reveal the covert procedures used to catch them.
“We really as a country cannot afford a situation where we arrest members of our small conservative but also pretty loyal Muslim and Islamic community on trumped up terrorism charges because all that would do would is radicalise young people in the Muslim community and on the other hand give other people the idea that every Muslim is a terrorist waiting to go up, blow up.”
Heitman says that it is unusual for terror organisations like ISIS and Al Qaeda to want to launch attacks in South Africa.
The reason for this‚ he explained‚ is that South Africa is seen as an ideal place for operatives to hide‚ or to transit through.
Meanwhile The Patels legal representative Yousha Tayob, claims there is alleged interference by the Hawks in the case against the duo following a decision to postpone bail at the Kagiso Magistrates Court on Monday.
The brother and sister have been linked to the Thulsie twins and have been charged with three counts related to terrorism.
“So there is no independent judicial system in this matter, it is a witch hunt of sorts and we are just going to have to do what we can to get them out.”
Tayob says that the ammunition was from hunting trips and that the stun grenades were acquired by Ibrahim during his time as a member of the community policing forum.
The two will appear in the Kagiso Magistrates Court on 18 July.
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