The case against 15 people charged with fraud and corruption at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) has been postponed to next week.
The bail application will now proceed with a new magistrate after Magistrate Nontuthuzelo Sontlaba recused herself.
The suspects returned to the Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to find out whether the cases against them would beThe defence made an application on Wednesday, arguing the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter in the first place. Magistrate Nontuthuzelo Sontlaba has since ruled in favour of the state and rejected the defence’s request to thrown the case out of court.“The court has dismissed the defence teams’ request to have the matter struck off the court’s roll. The court agreed with the prosecution’s submissions that it has jurisdiction to hear the case, so we are vindicated.Tyali also confirmed that Sontlaba will recuse herself from the case, with a new magistrate expected to take over the matter going forward.
The suspects – Isaac Plaatjies, Anna Smith, Paul Tladi, Lucrecia Davids, Mbulelo Gingcana, Loius Mawila, Nozuko Mabombo, Gosain van der Haar, Thamsanqa Sonjica, Terrence Joubert, Bradley Conradie, Sarah Burger, Craig Retief, Anwar Khan, and Nthabiseng Makhoba – were apprehended by a special team investigating alleged criminal activities at the university, which resulted in staff being killed and targeted for assassination.
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