State to verify addresses of Egyptian monks’ accused killers

The case of two men accused of killing three Egyptian Coptic Orthodox monks in South Africa has been postponed to this week to confirm the address of the suspects and for verification of their immigration status with the Department of Home Affairs, reports TimesLIVE. Father Samuel ava Marcus and his co-accused Saeed Basanda appeared in a Pretoria court on Friday on three counts of murder and one of violating the Immigration Act. The two, who are also Egyptian, are accused of the murder of three monks at the monastery in Cullinan on 12 March. Father Takla Moussa, Father Minah ava Marcus and Father Youstos ava Marcus were stabbed to death. The duo is also accused of using an axe to cut their victims. On Friday, proceedings started late as the court awaited the arrival of an Arabic interpreter. The state then requested the matter to be postponed to 28 March pending confirmation of the accused's addresses as they had initially lived at the monastery. The three murdered priests were repatriated to Egypt where their joint funeral service was held last week in Cairo.