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28’s gang leader found guilty of seven murders

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Alleged 28’s gang leader George “Geweld” Thomas was on Thursday found guilty of killing seven people by the Western Cape High Court.

He had initially faced 19 murder charges.

The verdict was delivered after Judge Chantel Fortuin spent a few days reading out the 800-page judgment against Thomas and his 18 co-accused.

Netwerk24 reports he was found guilty of the murder of Angelo Claasen, Glenston Martin Yuzrieh Abrahams Haywin Strydom, Cecil Barnes Greshan Booysen and Nydene Davids.

It also said that he was convicted of five counts of racketeering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, which included the management of a criminal gang, participation in a criminal enterprise and incitement to commit an offence related to criminal activities.

According to Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, Thomas was found guilty of a total of 53 charges, which included attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms, and his co-accused were all found guilty of various charges.

A casually-dressed Thomas stood in the dock for most of the morning, his hands behind his back, seemingly calm and confident. Tattoos were visible on various parts of his body.

Security into court room 1 was tight and police officials asked people to identify themselves before entering.

A large contingent of police officers and correctional services officials surrounded the square dock and kept a close eye on the group.

Plato said these convictions should be used as a model case of how to ensure gangsters were removed from the streets and held responsible for crimes.

“Today’s successes are the result of a collaborative and specialised approach which, if institutionalised in the form of specialist gang and drug units, can result in even more successful convictions,” he said.

The case was postponed until Tuesday. News24


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