SBV men’s taste of freedom

For Colin Nayagar and Perumal Soobramoney Naidoo, the men who engineered the R31.4 million SBV heist of August 1998, the taste of freedom was tucking into pizzas, chicken tikka, mutton curry and ice cream at a park in Chatsworth.

This was their first meal on the outside in 17 years and was in sharp contrast to the life they had become accustomed to over the years in the drab, overcrowded Westville Prison.

Nayagar, 53, and Naidoo, 52, the last two incarcerated SBV heist robbers, are expected to be paroled within the next two to three weeks after they have completed certain orientation and society integration programmes at the prison.

A source said their day parole had been delayed because the orientation and integration programmes were taking longer than expected to finalise.

POST can disclose that Nayagar and Naidoo, whose eight heist accomplices, including policemen and SBV guards, have been released over the years after serving lengthy jail terms, were driven to Chatsworth in a Department of Correctional Services vehicle last week.

It was evident that their visit was a closely-guarded secret.

Motorists and shoppers at the Chatsworth Centre mall and an adjacent shopping complex, as well as people in the park, were unaware of the presence of the two high-profile prisoners and their warders.

Nayagar and Naidoo did not jump out of the car.

Accounts

POST has also established that for the first time since they were incarcerated the pair have their own bank accounts, which were opened at a Chatsworth bank last week.

This is for their salaries to be deposited into when, as part of their integration process, they start work at a fumigation business early next year.

Nayagar and Naidoo, who were jailed for 25 years each for masterminding the R31.4m heist and 23 years each for the R7.4m SBV robbery in Queensburgh in 1996, spent approximately two hours at the fumigation firm.

During that time, the owner took them and the warders on a walkabout of the premises.

The owner also fielded various questions from the warders, Nayagar and Naidoo.

Their first taste of freedom last week was tinged with emotion.

Waiting to welcome them was former SBV firearm instructor, Clive Gounden, an accomplice in the R7.4 million robbery who had been released from Westville Prison five years ago.

Gounden was jailed for 23 years for his part in the robbery. His 25-year sentence for the R31.4 million heist was set aside by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Gounden said tears welled in their eyes after they met for the first time in five years last week.

“We burst into tears and hugged each other. I was looking forward to this reunion. I said when I was released that it is my wish that Colin and Perumal will also be freed to bask in the sun and feel the rain falling on them. I am happy that freedom is knocking on the door for them,” he said.

“It is also nice to know that the fumigation firm owner has secured employment for them and that they will be kept occupied when they are paroled.”