By Teboho Moloi
BLOEMFONTEIN – The Free State High Court has sentenced Stanley Bakili, the mastermind behind the murder of prominent Bloemfontein businessman and Citymed Day Hospital CEO, Dr Louis Siemens, to 60 years in prison.
Dr Siemens was gunned down in the basement parking lot of the Preller Square shopping centre in May 2018, in what prosecutors described as a “cold, calculated execution” linked to extortion and organised crime.
Bakili was convicted last year on multiple charges, including murder, extortion, money laundering, contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. On Thursday, Judge handed down the sentence, ruling that the terms will not run concurrently, ensuring Bakili serves the full 60 years.
For the murder alone, Bakili received life imprisonment. He was also handed 15 years for extortion, 20 years for money laundering, 15 years for contravening POCA, and five years each for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the case initially involved eight suspects, including three police officers, a SANDF member, and a former attorney.
“One police official died in custody, and six others were acquitted. The identified hitman entered a plea bargain, receiving 22 years, and testified against the others,” Kareli said.
Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane praised the conviction as a victory for justice: “We commend the diligent work of our investigators and the prosecution team. This case sends a strong message that serious and violent crimes will not be tolerated.”
The complex investigation was led by Lieutenant Colonel Tieho Flyman of the Provincial Organized Crime Unit, whose team spent years unravelling what police described as a web of criminal collusion between businessmen and corrupt officials.
With Bakili now behind bars, authorities say the sentencing provides closure to one of the province’s most high-profile murder cases in recent years.
