Bester pre-trial hearing postponed to February 10 next year

The convicted and rapist, Thabo Bester’s prison escape pre-trial hearing has been postponed to February 10 next year.

Earlier, Judge Cagney Musi adjourned the matter to allow lawyers to confirm their availability and trial date.

All the lawyers have confirmed that they are ready for trial except Bester’s lawyer Adv. Lerato Moela.

The court is now arguing about the application submitted to the  High Court by Moela for the court to look into his concerns over Bester receiving a fair trial and the court’s jurisdiction.

Moela told the court last week that the case cannot continue because he is unable to consult and prepare with his client properly.

Bester is seeking the court’s intervention in what he says is unfair treatment by the Correctional Services Department.

Musi responded to Moela saying, “I’m saying to you, as I said earlier, there is a stray. In my view beyond your Section 25 rights. I’m saying to you I don’t want to enter into a further debate with you. Make sure that you file your affidavit, make sure that you file your heads of arguments in terms of the rules of this court, a judge will be assigned to deal with that and that judge you can go and ventilate all these things in front of that judge. I will assign a judge to listen to the entire argument even on the jurisdiction issue, everything that you want to ventilate that judge will hear, when the papers are ripe. The papers are just not right.”

Story credit: SABC News