The State has included a charge of attempted murder in the case against a former African National Congress (ANC) staffer and cash-in-transit heist accused Errol Velile Present, in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The charge was added because a G4S security officer was shot and critically wounded during the alleged robbery.
Present appeared in court with his three co-accused Itumeleng Manama, Zakhele Zondo and Bheki Biyela.
All four men are facing a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances in the amount of R250,000 for an alleged heist in Dobsonville, Soweto, on July 4.
The men made their second appearance before Magistrate John Baloyi for their bail application.
During their appearance, it emerged that the former ANC staffer, who was arrested on suspected heist charges, was not positively pointed during the police's identity parade.
Ben Modumaela, for Present, said he would object to another identity parade of his client due to the former ANC staffer's face being plastered across media publications, as well as social media sites.
Modumaela said it was a common course that investigators would only call parades if they had witnesses who said they could positively identify perpetrators of crimes.
He said four witnesses were called to the parade and all of whom did not point out Present.
Modumaela said Present was arrested while walking in the streets, he was bewildered as to how he could be charged with the possession of suspected stolen vehicles.
The State, through prosecutor Paseka Tameli, said it would oppose bail and the disclosing of the contents of the docket in order to protect its witnesses.
Present was fired by the ANC shortly after he gained notoriety following a statement by Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba's office in which he lambasted the governing party for employing someone who supposedly did not respect the rule of law.
The matter continues.
- African News Agency (ANA)
