The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to two suspects after they allegedly fitted blue lights to a private vehicle.
Afzal Abramjee, 40, from Centurion, and Manuel Sarafim Pinto, 49, a Mozambican national residing in Robertsham in Johannesburg, face a charge of operating a motor vehicle fitted with, or displaying, lamps emitting blue lights in contravention of the law.
According to evidence presented before the court, on June 4, 2026, during a police roadblock operation in Wierdabrug, police stopped a vehicle that was driven by Abramjee’s wife. Officers discovered the vehicle had been fitted with blue lights. When questioned, the woman informed police that the vehicle belonged to her husband.
Abramjee was contacted by police and requested to come to the scene. Upon his arrival, both he and his wife were taken to the Wierdabrug Police Station for further questioning. The vehicle was seized, and the pair were later released pending further investigations.
Following further police investigations, Abramjee and his co-accused, Pinto, were arrested at their respective residences on July 3 and July 4, 2026.
During their court appearance, the State did not oppose bail, as the accused were not considered a flight risk. However, the prosecution requested that stringent bail conditions be imposed to safeguard the integrity of the investigation.
The court found that it was in the interests of justice to release both accused on bail of R10,000 each, subject to strict conditions. The conditions include reporting once a week to their nearest police station between 5pm and 8pm, surrendering their passports to the investigating officer within 24 hours, and refraining from directly or indirectly contacting any witnesses involved in the matter.
The matter was postponed until August 5, 2026, for further investigation.
