Two Outlaw gang members convicted for murder in the Western Cape High Court

Cape Town – Two men linked to the Outlaw gang in Cape Town have been convicted in the Western Cape High Court.

Cheslyn Abrahams was convicted on five counts of murder, seven counts of attempted murder, four counts of illegal possession of firearms and four counts of illegal possession of ammunition, as well as charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

Antino Sassman was convicted on a count relating to the POCA, as well as possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.

The two accused have been linked to a gang war that took place in Valhalla Park from May 2014 until the end of 2015.

The war between the Outlaw gang and the Rude Boys gang was over drugs and territory in the Valhalla Park area.

All the crimes committed by Abrahams have been linked to Rude Boys territory.

Abrahams’s shooting victims included members of the Rude Boys gang, as well as innocent casualties, including a Somalian shop owner, and a 3-year-old girl who survived.

Abrahams, who is a high-ranking member of the Outlaw gang, went on the rampage from May 29, 2014, until September 28, 2014, where he not only attacked rival gang members but even shot bystanders trying to assist those injured during the shootings.

The investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Clement Petersen, said the all-out gang war in Valhalla Park nearly wiped out the entire Rude Boys gang.

He said the war came about due to a shift in power among the high rollers within the 28s gang. The ensuing power struggle brought division and led to the establishment of smaller gangs under the 28s gang umbrella, namely the Outlaw and Rude Boys gangs.

The accused have been remanded in custody and sentencing is expected to begin on June 29, 2021.

African News Agency (ANA)