'Father Punch' denies claims

2003-06-10 09:29

East London - A police captain told the Bisho High Court on Monday that he recorded in his pocket book - now mislaid - that personal documents were taken from a man alleged to have caused upset in Bisho government circles by printing salacious rumours.

Author Kerr Hoho, 41, who allegedly printed the rumours under the pseudonym "Father Punch", has denied 46 charges - 23 of crimen injuria and 23 of defamation.

The trial has become known as the "Father Punch" trial. Father Punch is the anonymous author of a satirical newsletter that circulated in the Bisho government making allegations of murder, corruption and rape.

Captain Mhleli Dyonase said documents seized from Hoho's office were sent to Pretoria for handwriting analysis.

Handwriting expert from Pretoria's Forensic Science Laboratory Marius Rehder told the court he was requested to compare handwriting from envelopes addressed to African National Congress constituency officials in the Eastern Cape and Hoho's personnel file.

"I concluded the writer of the (words on) torn papers (from a waste paper basket at the University of Fort Hare) matched the one on the leave application forms in the name of Hoho - with the exception of one sentence," said Rehder.

He said there was a slight resemblance between the sentence and the handwriting on eight envelopes that were addressed to ANC officials.

Dyonase said Hoho refused to give them his specimen handwriting when they were conducting a search at his home.

The defence argued that police misled the judge.

"They convinced him that the Father Punch author could have sent an e-mail to the Premier's office. They engineered an e-mail that threatened the premier's life. They (did this in order to successfully apply) for interception and monitoring of all communication in Hoho's office," said advocate Pumelele Hole.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

- SAPA