Legal aid for rightwingers

2003-05-16 14:07

Pretoria - Legal aid has been granted to seven of 22 alleged members of the rightwing Boeremag organisation going on trial for high treason next week, the Legal Aid Board said on Friday.

Nineteen of the accused initially applied for legal aid, but 12 of those later informed the board they still had enough funds to finance their defence, the board said in a statement in Pretoria.

The other three did not apply.

"A legal team led by staff from the high court unit of the Pretoria Justice Centre has been appointed for this case," the statement said.

The 22 men are to face a main charge of high treason in a trial set down for two years. There are four alternative charges of terrorism, and four of sabotage.

A murder charge is also listed, for the death of Claudia Mamatsieng Mokone in a bomb explosion in Soweto in October last year.

A count of attempted murder with an alternative of conspiracy to murder relates to an alleged plan to blow up a car transporting former president Nelson Mandela.

The rest of the 43 charges pertain to contraventions of legislation governing the possession, manufacturing and use of explosives, arms and ammunition.

The State alleges the Boeremag intended chasing all black people and Indians out of the country, or killing them, overthrowing the government, and proclaiming a Boer republic.

- SAPA