Julius Mkhwanazi and his co-accused Kagiso Lerutla will remain in custody throughout the long Freedom Day weekend.
The suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief and the Ekurhuleni municipality’s city manager were again in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The pair are accused of multiple charges relating to a 2019 incident where Mkhwanazi and Lerutla allegedly conspired to keep the latter’s identity off the criminal record system.
A marathon bail application on Thursday ran into the following day, with the magistrate postponing until Tuesday as he reserved judgment in the matter.
Mkhwanazi and Lerutla will be remanded in custody until next week.
Bail postponed again
The defence attorneys spent Thursday repeating arguments that their clients would not pose an danger to the public, witnesses or the investigations.
“Unequivocally, I am emphatic that there is no basis for such fear. I am suspended from my admittedly influential position as deputy head of the EMPD, I therefore have little, if any, influence on investigations and any potential witnesses.
“I will certainly not undermine the justice system and will stand my trail and abide by any conditions the court may impose,” Mkhwanazi’s affidavit read.
The defence continued with its argument on Friday, stressing that that a “well grounded fear” of obstruction or danger was required to deny bail, and could not be denied due to “hypothetical” possibilities.
The state suggested the defence was trivialising the charges, reminding the counsel that schedule five offences were serious matters.
The state argued that the accused had extensive knowledge of the case and if anything happened to the sole witness, the case would essentially be dead.
This is a developing story
