Jewellery boss Hoosein Mahomed in court for 'assaulting and pointing gun' at liquidator

Former Arthur Kaplan Jewellers director Hoosein Mahomed, surrounded by a team of senior legal representatives led by Laurance Hodes SC, is applying for bail after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting and threatening liquidator Laila Motala.

Motala, who was appointed to handle the liquidation of the popular jewellery chain, told TimesLIVE Hoosein attacked her, threw her against a wall, cocked his firearm and aimed it at her while yelling, “I will f***ing kill you.”

This is also contained in the affidavit before court.

She said this was his enraged response when she visited the Arthur Kaplan head office in The Atrium in Sandton on June 1. She was going about dismissing the top management team when Mahomed, who had been informed of what was happening, stormed in to confront her.

Motala, who was well acquainted with recently murdered liquidators Tom and Cloete Murray, was badly rattled by the unprovoked attack and opened a criminal case against Mahomed.

Detectives arrested him at the Arthur Kaplan offices and he has been in custody until his bail application in the Randburg magistrate's court on Friday.

Prosecutor Yusuf Baba called investigating officer Det-Sgt Aubrey Tshisane to the witness box.

While Tshisane told the court Mahomed had no previous convictions or pending cases, Baba questioned him on a December assault case that had been withdrawn.

The matter was adjourned to allow Hodes to read the docket of that case.

The case continues.

TimesLIVE

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