Brian Wainstein murder: Split in 'The Brotherhood' organisation takes centre stage
Alleged underworld gang boss Jerome 'Donkie' Booysen and 11 others are on trial for the murder of the man dubbed the 'steroid king', Brian Wainstein, in 2017.
Friends of of Mark Lifman including alleged gang boss Jerome Booysen attended the court appearance of Lifman’s alleged killers in George on Thursday. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/ Eyewitness News.
CAPE TOWN - A split in an alleged underworld crime organisation called "The Brotherhood" came under the spotlight in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.
Alleged underworld gang boss Jerome "Donkie" Booysen and 11 others are on trial for the murder of the man dubbed the "steroid king", Brian Wainstein, in 2017.
Legal teams are arguing for the court to decide whether cellphone recordings can be used as evidence in the trial.
A Hawks detective highlighted two cellphone recordings, extracted from a phone alleged to be Booysen's in 2016.
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The police captain, who cannot be named, said cellphone records show Booysen, his brother Colin and the now-deceased Mark Lifman and Andre Naude were allegedly part of a criminal enterprise called "The Brotherhood".
The detective says an incident at Coco Bar nightclub caused a split in the group, resulting in Colin joining their rival, alleged underworld gang boss, Nafiz Modack.
The captain told the court the cellphone recordings show "Jerome" was reluctant to intervene.
"Once again, the confirmation that it was difficult for Jerome Booysen because his brother was involved in the conflict."
The trial-within-a-trial continues.