The accused in the Babita Deokaran case have replaced their legal team with some big guns, including advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, the former acting director of public prosecutions for KwaZulu-Natal.
The six men charged with the whistleblower’s August 2021 murder made another appearance in the Joburg High Court on Thursday. Their previous attorney, Shafique Sarlie, withdrew from the case.
On the back of financial issues for the accused, which had already seen the case postponed twice for them to put up the funds required for their trial, the court heard they’re now being represented by Mlotshwa and by advocate Sanele Sibisi, both of whom are being instructed by attorney Bongani Zulu.
Mlotshwa is no stranger to the limelight; in 2012, when he was acting director of public prosecutions (DPP) in KZN, he handled the ‘Amigos’ case, which implicated local politicians Peggy Nkonyeni and Mike Mabuyakhulu.
He’s previously gone public with claims of meddling on the part of disgraced former deputy NDPP Nomgcobo Jiba.
He said he was pressured by her to drop the charges but resisted.
Ultimately though, he was removed from the position and replaced by the controversy-addled Moipone Noko, who dropped the charges months after her appointment.
Mlotshwa also testified at the state capture commission of inquiry about Jiba having asked him to sign an indictment in the infamous Cato Manor ‘death squad’ case without all the required paperwork, which he also refused to do.
-EWN
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The actor who is famous for playing the role of Mangi Nyathi on eTV’s Scandal, recently sat down with King David said he used his private parts to become a millionaire. Learn More
