Motata blood sample questioned

2008-11-10 22:03

Johannesburg - The defence in Judge Nkola Motata's drunken driving trial raised queries on Monday about apparent discrepancies in how a blood sample was registered at a laboratory testing its alcohol level.

During cross-examination of chief forensic analyst Logan Govender in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, defence advocate Danie Dorfling pointed out that a blood sample sent to the forensic chemistry lab in Johannesburg, was recorded in a register with a case number deriving from December 2006 in Hillbrow.

Motata's blood was taken on January 6, 2007, after he crashed his Jaguar into the perimeter wall of a Hurlingham property allegedly while drunk.

On Monday, Dorfling also pointed out that changes had been made to the register entry.

Different handwriting added a bracket with the word "Parkview" in the place in the register which originally identified the sample as coming from Hillbrow. The case number was also changed in a different colour ink.

Dorfling also queried a March 2007 report signed by Govender that stated he received the blood sample from Parkview police.

During testimony on Monday, Govender said he knew the sample had come from Hillbrow.

Govender said the discrepancy arose after a police form sent to the laboratory from Parkview police station was given to him by his superior. He said this form had caused confusion as to where the sample was identified as coming from.

Earlier Govender testified that the sample he analysed recorded a concentration of alcohol in the blood as 0.2 grams per 100 millilitres.

The legal limit is 0.05 grams.

- SAPA