The magistrate who presided over bail proceedings for the six men accused of killing Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran said he can’t give weight to a media statement made by former health minister Zweli Mkhize in determining the admissibility of the accused’s confessions.
Magistrate Simon Sibanyoni made no findings on the admissibility of the confessions after their lawyer claimed the men had been assaulted and coerced into signing them.
One of the accused, Phakamani Hadebe, had reportedly linked Mkhize to the crime – a claim the minister denied in his statement.
In his lengthy bail ruling, Sibanyoni dealt with claims by the accused that they had been forced to confess to killing whistleblower Deokaran. Hadebe reportedly implicated Mkhize and his lawyer asked to see Mkhize’s denial in a media statement as corroboration of Hadebe’s claim that he was forced to make the confession but Sibanyoni did not agree.
“The legal representatives of the applicants are misdirected on this aspect. Their argument cannot be upheld in that Zweli Mkhize’s press statement was not made under oath. It’s a mere press statement with no evidential weight,” said Sibanyoni.
The magistrate made no findings on the admissibility of the evidence and bail was denied to all six accused.
They are expected back in court in February next year.
-EWN
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