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A man accused of trying to extort money from residents in Beacon Bay appeared in East London Magistrates court on Monday.
Forty-eight-year-old Clyde Zehmke, who is a permanent employee at Carifro as a Mechanical Engineer Consultant, is accused of threatening Beacon Bay residents demanding R22 000 from each family.
The married father of two who lives in Gonubie was arrested on the 16th of November after he allegedly distributed threatening letters to 30 families in Beacon Bay demanding money in exchange for their safety.
The investigating officer on Zehmke’s case, Warrant Officer Christian Bouer of Beacon Bay Police Station, stood firm in his stance against the accused getting bail.
He says residents are still shaken, fearing for their lives, as the accused had promised them harm if they came forward.
Recalling the day of arrest, W/O Bouer says Zehmke was trailed by their Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) on the 16th of November on his way to a pickup after a complainant, who works at Daimler Chrysler, came forward with the threatening letter delivered to his door.
Bouer says at 4 am they spotted Zehmke putting a dustbin behind a transformer, marked with red tape.
The dustbin was to be used as the drop-off point for the money.
At 6:30 that same morning, the CIU witnessed the accused taking the bin and putting it back into his car - this is the moment he was arrested.
According to the police, no money was exchanged.
During Zehmke's previous court appearance it emerged in court that at least 15 of the complainants who received the letters, work at Mercedes Benz.
He is being charged with a schedule 1 offence.
His bail hearing has been postponed to the 2nd of December for Judgement.
