Cop letter identified Motata

2008-11-11 19:23

Johannesburg - A forensic analyst who tested a blood sample allegedly taken from Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata received a letter from the police identifying the sample as coming from a judge, the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court heard on Tuesday.

Former chief forensic analyst Logan Govender said he was given a South African police 21 letter by the head of the Johannesburg Forensic Chemistry Laboratory, and was told to analyse the sample as part of a batch whose results were needed urgently.

Defence advocate Danie Dorfling said the letter identified a blood sample given to the laboratory as having been drawn from a judge.

The letter also informed the lab that the case was attracting a lot of publicity in the media.

Dorfling also said the letter said the analysis needed to be done by a certain date, or the case would be withdrawn from the court roll.

Govender said in the normal course of procedures, although he may see a name on a label attached to a sample, he would not be told the position or stature of a person whose sample he was testing, nor would he be informed of media attention around a case.

He said in some cases, the laboratory would be informed of urgency attached to getting results out by a certain time, in order for the case to remain on the court roll.

Responding to Dorfling's questioning, Govender said there was "no need" for him to know the kind of details contained in the SAPS 21 letter in order for him to conduct his analysis.

On Monday, Govender said it was not normal as an analyst to receive that letter, and in fact, the one he had received in connection with the Motata case was a personal first.

Dorfling also questioned if the expiry date on test kits used to draw blood would be checked before analysis.

Govender said if kits had expired, analysis results would not be reported.

He conceded after questioning by Dorfling that the expiry date on the test kits used by the lab was in fact obscured by labels over them.

- SAPA