State warned in Bronx murder case
2012-06-04 19:35
Cape Town - The prosecution in the Bronx murder trial in Cape Town was on Monday allowed a final postponement for further investigation.
Four men charged with the murder of Bruno Bronn, owner of a gay night spot The Bronx in the city centre, made their 12th appearance in the Cape Town District Court before Magistrate Chumani Giyose.
The magistrate appeared surprised to hear from the prosecutor that investigation had still not been completed since the arrest of the men in February.
Statements from key witnesses, as well as forensic reports, including the post-mortem report, were outstanding, the court heard.
Giyose postponed the case to 4 July, and warned that no further postponements for investigation would be allowed.
He warned the State to "get your house in order".
This means if the investigation is still incomplete when the four accused appear again, the case will be "removed from the roll" and the four accused will step out of the dock free men.
The suspects are Johan Frederick Coetzer, 36, Fareez Allie, 29, Achmat Toffa, 35, and Kurt Erispe, 32.
All except Toffa are out on bail.
They are charged with the murder of Bronn at his Green Point home on 7 February this year.
They are also charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances.
On this charge they are alleged to have used a firearm to rob Bronn of his luxury car and other items, including a laptop.
The record of the case includes a certificate from the Western Cape Directorate for Public Prosecutions, signed by deputy director Nicolette Bell, directing that the men stand trial in the Western Cape High Court.
The date of trial in the High Court has still to be fixed.
- SAPA
