Lawyers representing 29 accused in CT tender fraud case want it struck from court roll
Their clients appeared before a magistrate at the Cape Town Regional Court in-person and via video link from prison.
CAPE TOWN - Lawyers representing the 29 accused in the tender fraud case in Cape Town have called for the case to be struck from the court roll.
Their clients appeared before a magistrate at the Cape Town Regional Court in person and via a video link from prison.
The accused persons include alleged gang boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife, who were arrested in September 2023 on a different matter, and former Cape Town Human Settlements MMC Malusi Booi who was arrested in September 2024.
The defence lawyers have criticised the State for stalling in its investigation.
When the State asked the court to postpone the matter for further investigation, this is what one of the attorneys had to say: "In my respectful submission, any postponement that can be granted now does not ameliorate the prejudice suffered by the accused before this court, even if we ask for a 342A application. The prejudice is there, it's undisputed. Your worship, I'm requesting this honourable court to strike this matter off the roll."
COURT ORDERS STATE TO WRAP UP INVESTIGATIONS BY 20 MARCH
The Cape Town Magistrates Court said it would launch an inquiry into the State's case should it not finish its investigation into the billion-rand housing tender fraud case in Cape Town by 20 March.
The prosecution said it needed to analyse over 100 bank statements, and other documents still needed to be downloaded from several devices.
Magistrate Alida Theart gave this ruling before postponing the matter to 20 March: "If the investigation should not be completed on or before that time, the State is going to inform the legal representatives of the situation, so they can prepare an application in terms of Section 342A, which means the court is going to have an inquiry as to the unreasonable delays in this matter."