Durban businessman seeks bail in human trafficking case, says he is no flight risk
One of two Durban businessmen facing human trafficking charges told a court on Tuesday he should be released on bail because he is not a
One of two Durban businessmen facing human trafficking charges told a court on Tuesday he should be released on bail because he is not a flight risk and will not interfere with witnesses. The application was heard in the Durban Magistrate’s Court, where both men submitted affidavits asking to be freed while their cases proceed.
The businessman’s lawyer, Paul Jorgensen, instructed by attorney Jay Mohideen, said his client would obey any bail conditions. He also pointed to medical problems, including heart issues, and said the accused believed the prosecution was politically motivated. The court heard the bail plea as the case moved into a new phase. Quietly, but significantly.
Case linked to 2022 luring of young women
The charges arise from a 2022 incident involving three young women from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. According to the case details, they were drawn in with what turned out to be a fake SIM card job offer and later forced into sexual exploitation at a property in Durban North.
Naidoo, 48, faces charges of human trafficking, kidnapping, cybercrime, crimen injuria and procurement for prostitution. The businessman whose name has not yet been released faces 20 charges in total, including sexual assault. He cannot be named until he enters a plea.
Bail fight turns on risk and credibility
In court, the defence tried to draw a clear line: no escape, no obstruction, no breach of trust. That argument matters because bail hearings in serious criminal cases often turn on whether a judge believes an accused person will return for trial and stay away from witnesses.
Prosecutors and defence teams in other high-profile cases around the world often clash over the same question. In the legal fight over Andrew Tate’s detention in the United States, for example, prosecutors argued the influencer was a flight risk, while his lawyers said he had exaggerated his lifestyle for attention. The Durban case is different in scope and setting, but the same legal test hangs over the hearing: can the accused be trusted to stay put?
For now, the Durban Magistrate’s Court has before it sworn affidavits from both businessmen, a set of serious charges, and claims from the defence that health, conduct and politics all weigh in favour of release. The next step will come in the bail ruling, with 20 charges still facing the unnamed businessman.
