Mpisanes lodge application to get luxury cars back

Shawn Mpisane. Picture: Khaya Ngwenya/City Press

Former Durban metro police officer Sibusiso Mpisane and his wife, Shauwn, have lodged an urgent application to get their nine luxury vehicles back.

The application was lodged in the Pietermaritzburg High Court after their vehicles were seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) last week.

The couple cited insecure storage facilities for the vehicles and asked that Trevor White be removed as curator in the proceedings, reported The Star newspaper today.

Shauwn Mpisane said in court papers she would have to pay for transporting and moving the vehicles and that the storage costs would deplete “my estate and that of my family rapidly”.

Last week, the AFU was granted an order authorising it to freeze and seize R140 million in property, including cars and four fixed properties.

The luxury cars were valued at around R22 million.

The cars included a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Maserati, a Ferrari Scaglietti, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and a Panamera Turbo, two armoured BMW 5 series and two Hummers.

Various construction vehicles seized were valued at about R4.5m.

Four fixed properties, including Mpisane’s home valued at about R25 million, were also seized.

The NPA said other assets were still being identified.

Shauwn Mpisane is currently on trial in the Durban Regional Court for alleged tax evasion.

She has pleaded not guilty.

“Since she [Shauwn] is married in community of property to her husband, it includes all property owned by the couple,” the NPA said at the time.

The State had until Thursday to file a responding affidavit in the urgent application, after which the Mpisanes would have until next Tuesday to file a response before a date would be set for the matter to be heard.

- Sapa