Bloemfontein – The pre-trial conference of alleged genital mutilator Peter Frederiksen was on Friday postponed in the High Court in Bloemfontein.
Frederiksen's lawyer Advocate Deon Pool requested the matter be postponed to September 23 due to logistical reasons.
"A diary was found and it is in Danish so it's been translated into English, so we just want to make sure that my client is fine with the translations.
"He is also in the Johannesburg prison and the prison has four consultation rooms which are always occupied so that limits our time to talk," said Pool.
State prosecutor Amanda Bester did not oppose the postponement. She said their investigation was complete and the trial was expected to take eight weeks.
"The charge sheet has been provided and finalised. We just want to find out if the firearms that were seized in his shop [in May] were used in other crimes."
During his last appearance, the court heard that Frederiksen allegedly documented horrific scenes of him cutting women's genitals.
Facing 59 charges
State witness and investigating officer, Warrant Officer Lynda Steyn, testified in the bail application that they had confiscated Frederiksen's diary during a raid at his home in Langenhoven Park, Bloemfontein.
An extract from the diary read: "Tseli not happy, wants her clitoris back."
Frederiksen is expected back in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Monday for his bail application.
He faces 59 charges, including assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possessing unregistered medicine, possessing unlicensed firearms, distributing and possessing child pornography, conspiracy to murder and bigamy.
He was arrested on September 17, 2015, after 21 clitorises were found in the freezer of his home.
He is also being investigated for the murder of his late wife, 28-year-old Anna Matseliso Molise. She was shot four times outside her house in Maseru, Lesotho, on October 20, 2015.
She would have been a key State witness in the case against her husband, the Hawks said at the time.
Murder charges withdrawn
During previous court appearances, the State said Frederiksen allegedly hired wheelchair-bound Motlatsi Moqeti, 31, to have Molise killed. He allegedly had contacts in the criminal underworld.
Frederiksen told the court previously that he learnt of his wife's death through the media. The State told the court that a witness and phone calls linked Moqeti to the killing.
However, on June 12 the State withdrew charges against Moqeti in the Bloemfontein Regional Court.
Prosecutor Amanda Bester did not give reasons for the withdrawal in court. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said there was insufficient evidence against Moqeti.
He remains in custody in relation to other matters.
In May, the Hawks seized more than 1 600 firearms, explosives and hand grenades from Frederiksen's gun shop in Bloemfontein.
According to a police spokesperson, the firearms were confiscated on suspicion that Frederiksen might have used them in other crimes. About 75 firearms had no valid licences.
