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#AsbestosGate: Security beefed up at court

───   LUCKY NKUYANE 09:13 Tue, 22 Feb 2022

#AsbestosGate: Security beefed up at court | News Article
PHOTO: Lucky Nkuyane

Security remains tight outside the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein, ahead of the continuation of Tuesday's scheduled civil litigation in the failed R255 million asbestos housing audit project case.

Police officials, including the Tactical Response Team (TRT) and traffic officials, are keeping a watchful eye on the movement outside and inside the court. Some streets leading to the High Court have been cordoned off by razor wire, with traffic passing through these streets diverted elsewhere. This is because on Tuesday Adv. Laurence Hodes (SC), representing suspended ANC Secretary-General (SG) Ace Magashule, is set to argue before Judge Soma Naidoo in a petition for the state to withdraw charges against his legally embattled client. Magashule, who amongst others faces charges of failure to report criminal activity in the failed asbestos housing audit case, says the state does not have a case against him.

He maintains that he is facing trumped-up politically motivated charges. He also wants a list of witnesses against him.

READ MORE: #AsbestosGate: Magashule and others challenge charges in FS High Court

On Monday, Judge Naidoo adjourned the litigation against the state after three other co-accused - including businessman Edwin Sodi, former Head of the Department (HOD) of Human Settlements, Nthimotse Mokhesi, and former Director-General (DG) Thabane Zulu - argued for charges against them to be withdrawn.

Legal representatives for three of the accused - Sodi, Mokhesi, and Zulu - on Monday argued that the state is relying on evidence deduced from the State Capture Commission and this is encroaching on the accused's right to a fair trial.

READ MORE: #AsbestosGate: Civil case adjourned for Tuesday

Adv. Christo Meiring, Adv. Laurence Hodes (SC), and Adv. Solly Maakane (SC) all claim that the accused were arrested merely weeks after testifying at the State Capture Commission.


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