Be ready, says Boeremag judge

2003-10-15 20:53

Pretoria - The judge in the Boeremag treason trial told the prosecution on Wednesday to have its first witness ready when the trial resumed later this month.

Judge Eben Jordaan postponed the trial to October 27 to consider judgment in an application by three of the 22 accused to stop their further prosecution.

Mike du Toit, Andre du Plessis and Koos du Plessis claimed they had been irreparably prejudiced by the confiscation of a privileged document from their prison cell in October last year.

They testified that police had obtained further witness statements and had amended statements and evidence on the strength of the defence set out in the document.

The three were the first of the Boeremag members to be arrested in April 2002. They initially faced charges of terrorism, but the charge sheet was amended to include charges of high treason and murder after the arrest of the other accused.

The investigating team said the three's cell was searched because they had information that further acts of terror was being planned from inside the prison. They denied adapting the state's case as a result of the document that was seized.

The accused have all denied guilt on the charges against them.

The State alleges that they had plotted the violent overthrow of the government and had been involved in a series of bomb explosions in one of which a woman was killed.

Jordaan earlier this week once again requested the persons responsible for transporting 13 of the accused to and from prison to treat them humanely. This followed complaints that their handcuffs were too tight and cut off circulation.

- SAPA