Photographers to be arrested?

2002-02-04 18:32

Cape Town - The Cape High Court will decide on Tuesday whether or not to authorise warrants for the arrests of former Cape Times photographer Benny Gool and Christo Lötter, a photographer for Die Burger newspaper.

The warrants were requested by senior prosecutor Jannie van Vuuren on Monday after Gool and Lötter failed to attend the trial of four members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad), accused of murdering gang leader Rashaad Staggie.

Staggie was shot and set alight when he was confronted by an angry mob as he alighted from his vehicle in front of his Salt River, Cape Town, home in August 1996.

Gool and Lötter had been subpoenaed to give brief formal testimony at the trial. They were expected to authenticate published photographs of the Staggie murder and also confirm they had taken the pictures.

Gool and Lötter have repeatedly refused to testify.

Van Vuuren told the court he was aware of the principle of not engaging reporters or photographers as witnesses in criminal trials, except as a very last resort.

Earlier, the State withdrew a subpoena for Gool to appear as a witness as it was felt his evidence was not needed at the time, but it was indicated that the decision would be reviewed at a later stage.

This is the sixth time Gool has been served with a subpoena to appear at the trial, but he has repeatedly refused to testify, citing impartiality and freedom of the press.

The State also reportedly plans to call Die Burger editor Arrie Roussouw and a photographer from the paper, Christo Lötter.

By mid-morning the trial had not yet begun, because the prison truck transporting the accused had not arrived at the court building by 10:45.

Pagad's national co-ordinator Abdus-Salaam Ebrahim, security chief Salie Abader, Moegsien Williams and Abdur-Razaak Ebrahim face charges in connection with Staggie's murder.

The State dropped charges on December 12 against Pagad's former security chief Nadthmie Edries.

- SAPA