A deceased uncle, an admission about being on parole on a murder charge, a road trip to Fort Beaufort, and accusations that a K9 arresting officer had lied about an accused trying to evade arrest.
These statements all formed part of the bail application of Nyamezeli Tete, 59, who has been linked to an alleged kidnapping syndicate in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Tete has been charged in connection with the April kidnapping of Chinese national Running Chen, from his business premises in North End, in Gqeberha.
He has also been charged with the kidnapping of Sonam Gajjar who was taken from her driveway in Kariega, in March.
Both Chen and Gajjar were released after hefty ransom amounts had been paid.
On Friday, Tete was in the dock in the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court to give testimony in support of his release on bail.
The self-employed father of six told the court that he was convicted and handed a two-year prison sentence for car theft, in the 80's.
In 1996 he was sentenced to 45 years in prison (of which 15 years were suspended) for robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder.
Defence attorney Zolile Ngqeza led his client to testify that he was released on parole in 2012 and that his parole is set to end in 2028.
Tete was released on bail for the car theft charge and had adhered to all of his bail conditions until he was sentenced, the court heard.
According to Tete, he had been arrested twice in connection with Chen's kidnapping.
In April police apprehended him and three others on the road between Gqeberha and Colchester.
Tete said they were detained over a weekend and released that Monday without appearing in court.
His son's vehicle was impounded so DNA evidence could be gathered.
In June, another arrest followed for the same case.
"The police did not explain.
"They only said they are arresting me for this China Man."
When Ngqeza probed his arrest near Fort Beaufort, Tete said he traveled because his wife had a bereavement in the family.
Tete explained that he first went to the offices of his parole officer, but the office had been closed.
He then phoned another parole officer to get his signing officer's number, but he was unsuccessful.
He went to Fort Beaufort anyway, all the while planning to visit his signing officer the next day.
When State Prosecutor Bennie Wilson questioned Tete about his parole conditions, he conceded he was aware it stipulates that he was not allowed to leave the city.
Wilson put it to him that it was not the first time he had been arrested outside of the city, stating that he was previously arrested close to Alexandria.
The state further touched on the family emergency which according to Tete had prompted him to travel to Fort Beaufort.
Wilson wanted to know what the big emergency was, to which Tete responded that the emergency was death.
"We as black people come together when there is death," he said.
Tete was asked about the events that unfolded on 8 June, which is a day before his arrest.
He conceded that he had received a call from Hawks Detective, Warrant Officer Shane Bosch.
Bosch informed him that the Hawks were looking for him and instructed Tete to hand himself over to police in connection with the case.
Wilson told Tete that based on his own evidence relating to the phone call he received from Bosch, he knew that the police were looking for him.
Tete claims he was arrested inside his vehicle near Fort Beaufort the next day, but Wilson challenged his evidence by referring to a report submitted by the arresting officer.
Wilson asked Tete whether he refused to stop and then alighted from the car and ran.
The arresting officer's report states that he had to fire warning shots when Tete ran and that he was in a bush about 20 metres ahead of the arresting officer.
In response, Tete said the arresting officer, who he described as a coloured male from the dog unit was "lying".
Wilson asked for a postponement to 15 July to verify certain information.
Tete's co-accused in the Chen case is Mzonoxolo Grwayibana.
During his bail application, the court heard that they were related.
Grwayibana was arrested on 16 May and released on bail of R3 000 seven days later.
His case was remanded to 16 July.
On Tuesday, Tete appeared in the Kariega Magistrate's Court in connection with Gajjar's kidnapping.
This case was postponed to 16 July.
