Accused hitman requests to share cell with fellow inmates due to depressive solitary confinement

The alleged hitman accused of murder inside the Wynberg Magistrate's Court says a single cell is too “depressive” and wants to move back in with other inmates at Pollsmoor Prison. 

Abubaker Adams is one of the five accused, along with Shireen Matthews, Brian Booysen, Wanay Farao and Vuyisani Zengetha, charged with the premeditated murder of Dingalomoya Chintso on April 7. 

The five were back in court on Thursday, where they allegedly executed the hit on Chintso on the fourth floor of the same building.

The accused face charges in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) for aiding and abetting criminal gang activities in association with the Junky Funky Kidz (JFK) gang, premeditated murder, and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The court was expected to start with the bail applications of the accused. 

However, Adams’s legal representation, attorney Kevin van Vught, asked the court to make provisions with the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to have his client placed in a communal cell.

Van Vught said: “On the last occasion at court [Adams] was injured at court and apparently fell down the stairs. The situation was so bad that an ambulance was summoned and he had to be taken to hospital, but was not taken. He received no medical treatment at hospital, however, he was placed in a single cell and unfortunately he finds the solitary confinement extremely depressive and is having a consultation with a psychologist [today:Fri].”

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The magistrate said that most inmates want to be in a single cell, however, Adams wants to be where it is populated. 

The magistrate said that she can only order that DCS checks on him at the Pollsmoor hospital as the court has no powers to instruct DCS on where to keep inmates in a prison.

Meanwhile, the court only heard that Matthews, the alleged mastermind, and Farao, the alleged firearm smuggler, would apply for bail. 

The case was postponed to June 6.

Cape Argus