Pietermaritzburg - Three judges on Tuesday dismissed a woman's court action to recover properties forfeited to the state because they were allegedly proceeds of crime.
The forfeited properties formerly belonged to Pietermaritzburg woman Joyce Komane, who was initially charged with drug-related crimes before she was acquitted on appeal.
Although initially convicted in the regional court and sentenced to 18 years in jail, she was acquitted by the high court, which held that it had not been established that the substances she had were prohibited drugs.
Various drug suppliers had supplied drugs to Komane's co-accused. These had not been accurately analysed.
According to High Court testimony, she allegedly netted between R10 000 and R15 000 a week.
Despite this, the KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions, arguing that her three properties were proceeds of crime and obtained preservation and forfeiture orders on her properties.
A full bench of three judges on Tuesday upheld the decision that the forfeiture action against her was legal.
