DJ Warras murder case | Second suspect appears in court, remains in custody

The second suspect arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock will remain in custody following his first appearance in court on Monday.

The 25-year-old Mozambican national, Armindo Pacula, appeared briefly before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, where proceedings focused on his legal representation and the verification of his residential address.

Pacula faces charges of premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act.

Court proceedings began with the magistrate addressing the verification of the accused’s identity and address after it emerged that his passport and identification documents were not immediately available.

Pacula told the court that he cannot afford a private attorney and intends to apply for Legal Aid — a process the court acknowledged may take time.

State prosecutor, Vincent Mochabela, raised concerns over the accuracy of the address provided by the accused, prompting the court to order further verification.

Magistrate Simon Radasi ruled that Pacula will remain in custody, postponing the matter to the 9th of February to allow for the completion of verification processes.

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority says Pacula is expected to be joined in the same case as the alleged mastermind, Victor Majola, who was denied bail last week.

The two are then expected to appear together in court on 11 February.

Majola faces charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder.

Meanwhile, several media reports allege that the hit on DJ Warras was commissioned for R25 000, with the suspected gunman reportedly paid R7000. Police have also indicated that the suspect may have made a full confession.

Warras was gunned down in December in the Johannesburg CBD, outside the Zambesi building.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe