Thabo Bester case postponed to Wednesday
The High Court in the Free State has postponed the pre-trial conference of convicted murderer Thabo Bester and his co-accused to next Wednesday.
The latest postponement follows the withdrawal of Kagisho Moruri, the legal representative for accused numbers three and six, citing no financial instructions.
Accused number two's legal team offered to represent the duo, pending consultation.
During the previous court appearance, Bester had to appoint a new legal representation team after Advocate Mohamed Seedat withdrew his services in March.
Bester's new legal team, Advocate Lerato Moela, told the court on Wednesday that it was his first opportunity to consult adequately with Bester.
"We consulted with him several times, with the restrictions that are imposed by the Correctional Services, and some of the constriction obviously led to some of us catching flu, because we consulted in extremely cold conditions in the Correctional Services centre.
Moela, who submitted a motion regarding jurisdiction and consultation access to his client, urged the court to ensure Bester receives a fair trial.
In response, Free State High Court Deputy Judge President Cagney Musi insisted that the correct procedures be followed before the application could be heard.
"For all intents and purposes, there is no application before me. I have not seen your papers, and I am not interested in seeing them now until after all sets of affidavits have been filed by people who have a material interest in the matter.”
Bester and his co-accused are on trial for escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.
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