Broken pipe flushes trial
2004-05-17 16:12
Pretoria - The conduct of five "dirty and thirsty" Boeremag-accused on Monday resulted in the trial yet again being delayed for a day.
Five of the accused refused to come to court, claiming they were dirty and thirsty after a water pipe broke at Pretoria's Local Prison, leaving a whole section without drinking water. Defence advocates for four of the aggrieved prisoners asked the court to continue with the trial, but Daan Mostert, acting for Adriaan van Wyk, said he had strict instructions to ask for a postponement, as his client claimed he would be prejudiced if cross-examination of state witness Lourens du Plessis continued in his absence.
Van Wyk is one of the accused directly implicated in a coup plot by millionaire farmer and self-confessed coup plotter Du Plessis.
Mostert said Van Wyk - whose bed was next to a toilet that could not be flushed - was taking a stand against the treatment meted out to him in jail.
Judge Eben Jordaan - who at one stage said one needed the "wisdom of Solomon" in a trial marked by "unusual applications" - determined that the trial had to stand down until Tuesday morning as there was a possibility that Van Wyk might be prejudiced.
Prosecutor Dries van Rensburg said Correctional Services had informed the investigating officer that the problem with the broken water pipe was being attended to.
The trial is expected to continue on Tuesday.
- SAPA