Former prosecutor in court
2012-07-25 18:41
Cape Town - A former Bellville District Court prosecutor is to go on trial in November on charges of corruption, theft and defeating the ends of justice.
Jonas Phosoko, 38, from Mitchell's Plain, and co-accused Mlahleni Mgingi, 42, of Belhar, on the Cape Flats, appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday.
Magistrate Amrith Chabillal scheduled their trial for 19 November, to run for a week.
Chabillal said the trial was to have started on Monday, but for "reasons best known to the two accused", it was delayed. The only week now available was in November.
According to the charge sheet, Mgingi was arrested two years ago for possession of 29kg of dagga.
The dagga case was postponed a number of times in the Bellville District Court, and was finally scheduled for trial in November last year.
Prosecutor Derek Vogel alleged Phosoko and Mgingi met a number of times last year in Nyanga township, and had regular cellphone contact with each other.
It was alleged that Mgingi paid Phosoko R1 800 in October and November last year, as a bribe to steal and destroy the docket pertaining to the dagga case.
According to the charge sheet, the dagga case had been assigned to prosecutor CL Williams, who shared an office with colleague M Paul.
Paul allegedly gave Phosoko access to her office on the day the dagga case was to start, on the understanding that he was searching for another docket.
Phosoko was apparently in the office alone, and when Paul and Williams returned, the dagga case docket was missing.
Phosoko allegedly denied any knowledge of it, and the missing docket caused the postponement of the case.
Phosoko faces one charge of corruption, two of theft and two of defeating the ends of justice.
Mgingi faces one charge of corruption, one of theft and one of defeating the ends of justice.
- SAPA
