Court orders state to unveil docket in Newcastle CPF murder case
Magistrate Vernita Mundell has ordered the state to unveil the docket and provide the defence with its full contents to assist in the preparation for a new bail application for the accused in the CPF murder case.
She made the order at Tuesday’s (November 26) reappearance of the four CPF members accused of the 2023 murder of Khulekani Hlatshwayo.
Accused 1 (Dhalech), accused 3 (Mohamed), and accused 4 (Ashraf) appeared in person, while accused 2 (Ebrahim Adams) was still in the hospital.
Umhlanga-based criminal and civil litigation lawyer, Ravindra Maniklall, again represented accused 1, 2, and 3.
Allen Kelly appeared for accused 4, who was previously granted bail due to having to write his matric final exams.
The order was granted by Mundell following suspicions that the state had ‘possibly misled’ the court during the previous bail application by stating that the investigations were complete and that the docket was ready for trial.
However, during the accused’s’ previous appearance on November 19, it was brought to Mundell’s attention that video footage and witness statements were still outstanding resulting in the postponement of the case on Tuesday.
Despite the state’s attempts to convince Mundell not to unveil the docket, she referred to new facts that had ‘been unearthed’ that allowed her to grant the order in favour of the defence.
This would allow the defence to bring forward a new bail hearing on proper new facts.
The case will continue in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, December 3.
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