Chapter 29

ADVOCATE NDLELA

I set both cups of of coffee on the table and look at the detective and the prosecutor. When they called and said they were coming over I couldn't wait. I spoke to my wife about the deal I am making with the prosecutor and she was all for it. The prosecutor agreed to my offer, apparently they are busy with all the necessary arrangements. Everything will be finalized after today, hence they are sitting across from me at my table looking stoic, especially the detective.

"Milani came to me with the plan. I knew that Mnqobi wasn't dead. I knew that the case would end up being a Double Jeopardy case because Mnqobi never listened to anyone. He was bound to be spotted and unlucky for him he was spotted by the same that was said to have killed him. From the beginning the case was a frame up. Everyone involved in the case was paid off except for the judge. We needed something to be the genuine and that was the judge and his ruling. We just didn't count on him suspending the years and granting him bail when they filed for the appeal. That ruined the plan. Milani was angry, she wanted him to go back to jail but there was nothing she could do especially since he had asked for a divorce and didn't move back to their house when he was released. She didn't have excess to him at all, she didn't know what he was doing when and where. That's why she resorted to kidnapping Lwandle. She is his mother, he would have been shocked with her picking him up from school, but he wouldn't question it too much. She had drugged his favorite juice and gave it to him the minute he got in the car. The intention was not hurt Lwandle but to get Nqaba to comply. She knew taking Lwandle was risky but she had to do it. It was also a test for her brother, to see how long it would take Malusi to get her out of the clutches of the police. With Malusi, the plan worked perfectly but with Nqaba it failed.

Milani doesn't care who gets hurt as long she get what she wants. Now the shell company that they created, here are the details." I say pushing a file towards them. "The shell company was created for illicit organ harvesting. As soon they receive the organs, they will be registered under the pharmaceutical shell company as medication. Everything will be transported using her father's logistic company. That company doesn't only do transportation in this country only, they are all over the world. It makes things easy for them because Emihle is already using the company services for her pharmacy. It won't be suspicious when being investigated, since she is already an existing client. No one will really suspect a pharmaceutical company for transporting organs." I stay quiet for a moment letting them digest everything that I am saying. They are recording all this and making notes as well. "I suppose you were the one that registered the company for them." The prosecutor asks, "No Lindi, I don't deal with that kind of staff. I referred them to someone. They wanted someone who was not connected to any of them, they wanted someone independent and I got them that person and she ended up being part of them team, handling all those kind of things. This was planned properly Lindi, it's just a pity thing never go as planned and to be honest with you, what put everyone in the line of fire is Nqaba's stubbornness, his drive to give up, the fight in him that he had for his son. We under estimated him and he unknowing brought the walls down on us.

Milani initially planned to kill the Nqaba's partners. The partners that he partnered with to start the bank, NLC Bank. When the kidnapping failed the next step was to kill the partners but we recently found out that we couldn't do that. They had recently changed beneficiaries. Should anything happen to them the shares will go back to Nqaba, whereas before one shareholder has an anonymous beneficiary and the other had his two children as beneficiaries but for safety everything was changed. Now she knows there is no for her to have excess to the bank, especially since she was married out of community of property which I would say she short herself in the foot in making that decision." She interrupts me before I can go ahead. "Why the bank though? Don't you guys know that it would have not been easy to launder money through the bank because of AML? I mean shell companies are monitored by banks because that's one of the common ways to hide true ownership of the money." I look her, really look at her. She is smart, I give her that. "Yes they are monitored and in as much as the shell would company would exist on paper, it would also be operational, just enough to keep the sniffing away. We know how banks work and there's a loop hole to be exploited." The detective has been quiet the entire time, just listening to me blabber away. I think I have given them enough on Milani and besides I believe they have the rest from Mnqobi's devices. "Tell us about the pay offs." the detective read my mind. I take a folder from the folders I have next to me and push it towards them. "That folder contains all the police officers in our pockets in two police stations including the the Police commissioner. There's is USB there, it contains all the monies paid to the cops. There are no names there but badge numbers. That's what we used so as to not raise suspicion should the information leak. Those police officers are responsible for lost dockets, false arrests, you name it. Whenever there's drug raid or a raid that involves high profile criminal with money, those officers are always involved depending on the unit needed as are all from three different units. Whenever there's cash that has been seized from a raid, I'm not just talking about small amount. I'm talking big money. They would take a portion and report what's left over. They were never allowed to take more than 15% of what was found. There's is a lot in there, you will see yourselves when you start going through it. The next one is of judges paid to throw cases, guilty rulings when needed, not guilty rulings when needed. Unnecessarily delay cases, anything we needed from them. This of lawyers like me. I believe I have given you everything you need to bring down a few syndicates."

"It is more that enough." She grabs her bags and takes out an envelope. "You are officially a state witness. All the necessary paperwork will be arranged. You will be moved to an unknown location, new identities for you,your wife and kids. Right now stay low, don't to talk to anyone. We are keeping this under wraps, hence we are here. Thank you for your help Mr Ndlela. We shall take our leave." She grabs her bag but the detective stops her. "Before we go, Mnqobi Khumalo, why was in on all of this?" He asks "It's simple detective, he wanted to bring down the man who killed his father, Malusi, who is also protected by the police commissioner." He nods and gets up and says "thank you" with a polite nod. I walk the out and relief I feel knowing family will be sage. According to this document, by the time all this becomes public, we'll be out of the country. That is good for us. I take my laptop and securely email Detective Mbhele the case file on Mnqobi's father's death. That should shake up Malusi's case.

MILANI CELE

After I went to see Nqaba yesterday, I decided to lay low for a while. I can hope that my plan has worked. Even if the completely believe me, but I want them to have that thought in their minds that "maybe she is being sincere" that was the aim after all. I also needed information on those two detectives that are working on my case and what Tony brought me is not helpful at all. "Tony what am suppose to do with this information. There is nothing I can use here. These two are clean. You can't even smell fowl play from their information." I flip through all this and some of it doesn't make sense. "That is all we are going to get. Those two are mainly undercover cops, the work undercover in most of their cases. Their records are sealed. That's all we can get but we know they have families. They are both married with kids. May you can the family to get to them." This one is not thinking straight anymore. I don't blame him though it's a long hard day. "We can't go after a cop's family Tony, we risk bringing the whole police force down on us. These two are basically untouchable." I can see he wants to say something else. He speaks before I say anything "There's something else, the other detective, Det Nxele, has a special team that he works with. It's not SAPS. This team was out sourced. He put it together himself. The records are redacted, basically, there is nothing. The team is the reason why he is able to solve so many cases. That means we need tread carefully Milani. This is far too deep now." I can see that all this unsettles him. And he is right, we to tread carefully but the problem with that is that I am running out of time.

Kidnapping Lwandle was supposed to work to my advantage now I have to find other way to make things happen. My phone pings and it Emihle. **"Malusi has been arrested. Get here now."** What does she mean my brother has been arrested. How the hell did Malusi get himself arrested? This is a mess. I grab my bag, "Tony let's go, my brother has been arrested. Emihle needs me." He doesn't hesitate. We both rush and get in the car. The drive seems to be very short today. He parks and we walk into a house with Emihle looking like a shell of herself and lost. I know she loves my brother deeply so this must eating at her. I call out for her "Emihle, what happened." I take a sit next to her while Tony goes to speak to the other guards. "Why was Malusi arrested?" Tear roll down her cheeks as if trying to find words of what she wants to say. "Milani, they know. The cops know everything that Malusi. They know about his business. They know Milani and I don't know what to do.
"Milani, they know everything about Malusi," Emihle says again, her voice cracking this time. "They've been watching him for months. There are so many questions, and I'm scared they might come after our family next." I feel a pit grow in my stomach; this was escalating far beyond what I had ever planned. I had thought that Malusi's connections would protect him, but now it seems like a noose was tightening around us all.
I glance at Tony, whose face has hardened with concern. "We need to come up with a plan. If they know about Malusi, they might already suspect you two." I turn back to Emihle, the desperation in her eyes cutting through me. "What do you mean they know everything? Did they say anything specific?"

She shakes her head slowly, wiping the tears with trembling hands. "Just that they have evidence. They found out about the shipments, and they mentioned names, Milani. Names I knew." My heart races as I realize the implications of what she's saying. This could blow the whole operation wide open, exposing everything.
"Then we need to act fast," I say, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on me. "Do you have any idea where they might take him? We may still have time if we move quickly."
Emihle squares her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I overheard one of the guards say he would be transferred to the central holding facility. They're trying to make a case against him. If we can get to him before that happens…"
"Tony, let's get moving," I command, my resolve hardening. "We need to gather everything we can. We can't let them take Malusi without a fight. If they take him, we are screwed."

As we rush outside, I feel a mixture of determination and fear. The clock is ticking, and while the stakes have never been higher, I refuse to stand by and watch my family fall apart. Each second counts, and without Malusi's connection to the network, who knows what would become of us, what would become of the deals in the pipeline. Yes I wanted to take half of his business but where's the fun in that if he is in jail.?
With every turn of the key in the ignition, I can't shake the feeling that an unseen enemy is lurking, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Our lives are intertwined in ways I never imagined, and now it's a race against fate. I need him here. He needs to learn that he can't try to betray me and get away with it. How am I supposed to teach him a lesson if they take him from us. He just got us a new deal that is going to make us a lot of money, how are going to proceed with that now? This is too much. Something doesn't add up. There is fowl play in this. Malusi has always been careful with his business dealings, so what could have happen.

We pull up at the police station an ask to see him but we are told we are not allowed to see him. I look around notice Det Mbhele. I walk straight up to him. "I need to see Malusi Nkabinde." "Hello to you too Mrs Cele. How are you today?" I don't have time for this. "Look, I need to see my brother. You cannot keep me from seeing him." He looks at like I have lost my mind. "Of course I can keep you from seeing him. You are not going to see unless you are his lawyer. Are you his lawyer Mrs Cele? Wait don't answer that. I'd be careful if I were you. You don't walk in here and act like you own this placing with your stupid demands. I might just arrest you again. Now, take your little friends and get the hell out of my station." Did he just talk to me like that? Who the hell does he think he is? I walk towards Emihle and Tony and tell them we should leave. "They'll allow his lawyer to see him. Tony call his lawyer. Emihle, you need to speak to your father. We can't let him go to central otherwise we won't be able to get him out." She nods and gets in the car. I chew on my nails while we wait for Tony to be done on the call. F**k, this is messed up. I am not going down without a fight.