Day 2: Durban businessman’s human trafficking bail fight set to intensify

A Durban businessman and his co-accused are expected to continue their bail application at the Durban Regional Court on Wednesday. The men face charges of human trafficking among a list of others.

The defence teams acting for a Durban businessman and his co-accused, Rangasamy Naidoo, are expected to interrogate the state's bail objection affidavit in the Durban Regional Court on Wednesday.

The bail application was partially heard on Tuesday, with the defence submitting affidavits on why their clients deserve bail and the state responding why they should not.

The case stems from a 2022 incident involving three young women from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, who were lured with a fake SIM card job opportunity and were later forced into sexual exploitation at a Durban North property.

Naidoo , 48, faces charges of human trafficking, kidnapping, cybercrime, crimen injuria, and procurement for prostitution. The businessman faces a total of 20 charges, including sexual assault. He cannot be named until he pleads.

Valisha Dafel, Senior State Advocate with the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, put Investigating Officer Karl Sanders on the stand on Tuesday to address several allegations raised by the defence.

Paul Jorgensen, instructed by attorney Jay Mohideen for the businessman, said his client was arrested unlawfully and that the case was politically motivated. Dafel said the arrest was legal and not politically motivated.

The state opposed bail because both accused could indirectly interfere with witnesses. The state argued that the businessman can exert authority and has a network of police that will undermine the justice system if he is released on bail. The state said public outrage was high regarding the matter of human trafficking, and they had yet to find a positive comment on social media about the incident.

The state also submitted an affidavit to the court from Awareness for Child Trafficking Africa (ACT Africa) in support of denying the accused bail. Magistrate Sharon Marks is expected to hear more arguments from the defence on Wednesday

Jorgensen said his client would not interfere with witnesses; he was not a flight risk and would abide by the bail conditions. Naidoo said he owned a business in Durban and employed 15 staff members. His 80-year-old father was terminally ill and he had no previous convictions.

“During the period February to March 2022, the accused recruited the three complainants under the false pretences of employment involving the sale of SIM cards at a casino and/or work in a call center," the state said.

"Representing the legitimacy of the employment opportunity for ICLICK."

"Which representations were false and did induce/cause the complainants to act upon such information, to their prejudice, in that they travelled to Durban to meet the employer.

"And were subsequently informed by the accused that the work was in fact of a sexual nature.”