Controversial businessman and alleged underworld kingpin, Mark Lifman was assassinated on November 3 in George.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The two men accused of murdering alleged underworld kingpin Mark Lifman have been denied bail on Friday in the George Magistrate’s Court.
In the second day sitting, Gert Bezuidenhout and Johannes Hendrik Jacobs were denied bail.
They are accused of murdering Lifman, 57, from Fresnaye, who was gunned down in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Jacobs and Bezuidenhout were arrested hours after the shooting incident in Uniondale after video footage subsequently surfaced showing that they changed the license plates before they were arrested.
Gert Bezuidenhout and Johannes Hendrik Jacobs in court.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
At the time of his murder, Lifman, who was always surrounded by security, was alone.
Previously, the Cape Argus reported Lifman’s last words were revealed in court.
According to evidence given by a local car guard, the final words from Lifman were: “No!!!”
This as his killers came face-to-face with their target in broad daylight.
Lifman died on the scene.
The matter has been postponed until February 20, for further investigation.
At the time of his murder, Lifman was out on bail and expected to appear in the Western Cape High Court where he, the main accused, and several others, including the alleged leader of the Sexy Boys gang, Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysen, is charged for the murder of steroid king, Brian Wainstein, an international steroid smuggler who was also wanted in the US.
Wainstein was murdered at his Constantia home in Cape Town in August 2017 while asleep next to his child and spouse.
In the indictment, the State alleged Lifman was the mastermind behind Wainstein’s murder after he and the deceased “clashed over investments and property deals”.
Lifman was set to testify on the Monday, the day after his murder, where he faced nine charges, which include murder, conspiracy to commit murder as well as contraventions of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
Lifman was arrested on December 22, 2020, after he handed himself over to Cape Town police after a warrant of arrest was issued for him on December 15, 2020.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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