Okah's wife falls foul of judge

2010-10-21 22:14

Johannesburg - The wife of suspected Nigerian terror mastermind Henry Okah found herself on the wrong side of the law during her husband's bail application in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

When Azuka Okah's cellphone rang during her husband's bail hearing, Magistrate Hein Louw ordered the court inspector to send her to the court holding cell.

However Azuka Okah pointed the inspector to her driver who was seated in front her and he was sent to the court jail instead.

When her driver was called to stand before the court, Azuka Okah claimed responsibility for the interruption.

"She wilfully disturbed the court," Louw said. "My court is like Park Station," he said.

But Henry Okah's defence lawyer Rudi Krause pleaded with Louw for leniency in dealing with the matter.

"I have never seen my court this busy. Reporters are going in and out of my court, and I have warned people to switch off their phones."

He said that he understood that Azuka was under a lot of pressure, but could not accept the court being disrupted.

Krause explained that Azuka always had her phone off and that it was his fault that she switched it on.

"I was trying to get hold of her on her cellphone and I tried a number of times and could not talk to her," Krause said.

Eventually Azuka phoned Krause back and he asked her not to switch off her cellphone again.

The charges she faces were not clear, but her case was postponed to Friday.

- SAPA