Ferdinand Fortuin receives five-year prison sentence for bomb threats in Cape Town
Terrorist Ferdinand Fortuin will serve five years behind bars for his bomb threats made last year at various Bellville locations in Cape Town.
On Thursday, August 7, Fortuin was sentenced in the Bellville Regional Court for contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act (POCDATARA).
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Fortuin was arrested on November 15, last year, after he made bomb threats via cellphone calls.
“The sentence stems from his arrest by a multi-disciplinary team comprising the Hawks’ Crimes Against The State, Western Cape Crime Intelligence, the Special Task Force, and SAPS Bomb Disposal.
“(This arrest was) for participating in a plot where bomb threats were made last year, November, to the Community Service Centre at the Bellville SAPS by an unknown male, who threatened that explosive devices were placed at the Department of Water and Sanitation in Bellville, the Transnet Building in Bellville South, and Bellville Taxi Rank,” said Hani.
The same threat was later made telephonically to the Road Traffic Emergency toll-free number on the same day.
Hani said: “The investigation by the Hawks’ team revealed a cellphone number which was used in the commission of the offence and thereafter placed in a different handset. The suspect was subsequently identified, and a warrant of arrest was issued on 15 November 2024. A search and seizure operation was conducted in Mamre, where several evidential materials were seized.”
Hani said two alternative counts (counts 3 and 5) were withdrawn after Fortuin pleaded guilty to the main counts.
On Thursday, Fortuin was convicted and sentenced after having entered into a plea agreement with the State.
He was sentenced as follows:
- Count 1: Threatening to commit a terrorist act or offence under POCDATARA;
- Count 2: Offences under POCDATARA, relating to hoaxes;
- Count 4: Offences associated or connected with financing of terrorism or specified offences, under POCDATARA.
Counts 1, 2, and 4 were taken together for sentencing, and the accused was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment.
chevon.booysen@inl.co.za