The court case against five men arrested for malicious damage to property has been postponed yet again. Ward 89 councillor Amelia Bester said they briefly appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on July 1 but were disappointed when the prosecutor did not turn up in court.
“The case was postponed again to September 14 and 15. All matters are being postponed to spring time. All witnesses are still on board to achieve a conviction for the greater good.” Bester recounted how the case has been pushed back for numerous excuses such as prosecutors being unfamiliar with the case, not having an interpreter, one of the suspects fleeing the country and a warrant of arrest being issued as a result, as well as the magistrate being on leave.
The five were arrested in October 2019 for affixing heavy steel structures to the Golf Club Terrace Bridge in Constantia Kloof.
The ward councillor said, “Illegal advertising, like in this instance, brings almost 100% profit to the pockets of the criminals driving these operations at the expense of the safety of thousands of people. The cost estimate to remove these steel structures is set at around R250 000. This cost doesn’t include repairs to the bridge.”
