A surprise court order has banned the media from further publishing photos of the faces of the 95 Libyan nationals arrested at the Milites Dei training centre.
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga SAPS uncovers suspected secret military base near White River
This after the accused first appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Court on Monday July 29, and images and footage showing their faces had already been widely published.
The application was brought by the defence attorneys, Ashwin Kassen and Nico du Plessis, during the accused’s second appearance in court on Monday August 5, and granted by Magistrate Edward Hall.
ALSO READ: More revealed about alleged secret military training camp outside White River
The exact reason for the abrupt turnaround is not yet known, but Lowvelder will update its readers as soon as more information is available.
The court order also banned the media from speaking to any of the accused without prior consent from their legal representatives, due to the possibility of them making statements that may taint their case.
ALSO READ: 95 Libyans appear in White River Magistrate’s Court
Brief proceedings saw the case postponed to August 26 for further investigation, and all 95 accused were remanded in custody at the Mbombela Correctional Services.
@lowvelder UPDATE: The 95 Libyan nationals who are expected to appear in the White River Magistrate’s Court today arrived and were immediately sent to the White River Police Station. The Mpumalanga police had recently raided their alleged illegal military camp outside White River. It is alleged that the detainees entered the country using false visas. Lowvelder will update its readers as court proceedings unfold.#mpumalanga #libyan
This lead to an outburst of chaos in the courtroom, as the men charged with contravening the Immigration Act refused to return to their holding cells.
Instead of getting back into the correctional services’ trucks they protested – chanting ‘Free Libya’ – and sang what appeared to be struggle songs, mostly in Arabic.
@lowvelder Some of the 95 accused Libyans singing what seems to be freedom songs, mostly in Arabic. The words “free Libya” can be heard.#lybia🇱🇾 #court #whiteriver #military
One of the men also blurted out in broken English that they were not animals and should not be kept in such filthy prison conditions.
@lowvelder A high-profile police delegation led by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the facility, and provided some feedback about what they had found there. Read more more on Lowveld media website. #mpumalanga nelspruit militarybase
Additional police officers had to be brought in to bring the situation under control.
According to Kassen, the accused demanded to go home as they believed they had done nothing wrong. They also complained about the prison conditions, particularly the food, lack of cleanliness and visitation rights.
Kassen said he would address the matter with the Department of Correctional Services.
@lowvelder UPDATE: The 95 Libyan nationals who are expected to appear in the White River Magistrate’s Court today, have not. Lowvelder will update its readers as the court proceedings unfold. This is what the National Prosecuting Authority’s provincial spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, has to say at the moment: #lybia🇱🇾 #lybian #court #hawks
The men were first arrested during a police raid on the Milites Dei training centre near White River on Friday July 26.
The Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said the Libyan nationals came to South Africa on student visas, but were actually being trained as soldiers, which led to the criminal charges under the Immigration Act.
@lowvelder UPDATE: The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, gives an update on the investigation into the owner of the alleged military camp outside White River, in which 95 Libyan nationals were found training on Friday July 26. Lowvelder will update its readers as the story unfolds.
She said further charges may be added pending the outcome of the state’s investigation.
