Man's fake threats to skip work earns him real jail time
A 50-year-old Bellville man who sparked mass panic by making hoax bomb threats to police has been sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment.
The Bellville regional court convicted Ferdinand Fortuin on three counts under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act (POCDATARA), after he falsely claimed to have planted explosives at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Transnet offices and the Bellville taxi rank.
The threats, made on 11 November 2024, forced the evacuation of more than 3 500 people and the deployment of multiple specialised police units.
Bomb scare to avoid work
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Fortuin admitted in his plea and sentencing agreement that he had been drinking heavily the day before and 'did not want to go to work the following day'.
'He left his home in Mamre, expecting the roads leading to Bellville to be closed because of his bomb threats. They were not, and he worked the whole day,' the NPA said.
Fortuin confessed to buying a cellphone from a drug user to make the hoax calls, including one to the toll-free emergency number, claiming to have placed explosives at the three locations, one of them being his own workplace.
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Mass evacuations and police deployment
The threats triggered a large-scale emergency response.
'At the water and sanitation department offices on Voortrekker Road, police assisted by three bomb disposal technicians, the K-9 Dog Unit, and visible policing unit members evacuated 164 people,' the NPA said.
Another 151 people were evacuated from the department's Bellville South offices.
Police also cleared 250 people from the Transnet Park Building and evacuated around 3 000 people from the Bellville taxi rank, which was subsequently closed. Roads in and out of the rank were blocked, causing widespread disruption and panic.
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Sentence reduced from minimum term
Fortuin faced a prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years unless the court found 'substantial and compelling circumstances' to deviate.
The court noted that he was a first offender, had pleaded guilty, shown remorse, and had 'strong personal circumstances' making him a candidate for rehabilitation.
He was sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment on all charges combined.
NPA regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said they accepted the court's decision but warned that similar offences would be met with severe consequences.
'The NPA will not hesitate to prosecute conduct of this nature to the full extent that the law allows,' he said.
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