Breaking News Update

GEORGE NEWS - The two men accused of murdering Mark Lifman in November last year, Johannes Jacobs and Gert Bezuidenhout, made a brief appearance in the George Magistrate’s Court earlier this morning, Thursday 20 February.

The case was remanded to Tuesday 15 April as ballistic reports and cellphone analysis reports are still outstanding. Raw footage of seven cellphones, of which two have international numbers, has to be analysed.

The defence argued that a long postponement infringes on the rights of the two accused and said that arrests shouldn't be made with the intention to investigate thereafter.

They asked for a postponement of no more than four weeks.

Magistrate Nasiba Khan agreed that a lengthy postponement won't be suitable and postponed the case until April.

Jacobs and Bezuidenhout's bail was denied in January after Magistrate André Aucamp found that their release on bail will not be in the interest of justice, nor could he find any exceptional circumstances to justify bail.

They have been in custody since their arrest.

Lifman, a prominent Cape Town underworld figure, was gunned down at the Garden Route Mall on 3 November. The accused were arrested later the same day near Uniondale.

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