10 more SANDF officials arrested over murder and kidnapping of Hawks officer Frans Mathipa
Ten more South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of Lt-Col Frans Mathipa.
Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Christopher Singo said the 10 suspects handed themselves over to the Hawks serious organised crime investigation unit in Johannesburg.
'They are all SANDF members and face similar charges,' he said.
The 10 suspects are expected to join the two soldiers who were arrested on Sunday at the Randburg magistrate's court on Monday.
All the suspects face charges of murder and kidnapping.
Mathipa was fatally shot while driving on the N1 near Hammanskraal in August 2023 when the assassins pulled up next to him and opened fire.
The Sunday Times reported he had been investigating the abduction of alleged Isis leader Abdella Abadiga from the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg and was looking into suspicions that South African military special forces were involved.
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The South African
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The Citizen
2 hours ago
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The Citizen
2 hours ago
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