Cape Town - A former Cape Town area court manager has been convicted of indecently assaulting one of his subordinates nearly six years ago.
Cape Town Regional Court Magistrate Herman Pieters found that Kenneth Sikiti’s evidence was improbable and “far from the truth”.
Pieters found that Sikiti had indecently touched a justice department employee in 2007 but was acquitted of sexually assaulting another in 2008.
Pieters said it was “extremely difficult” to come to a finding in such cases because, on one hand bosses abused their authority and on the other, staff took revenge. But in this case Pieters found that the women had no reason to falsely implicate Sikiti.
“He clearly exceeded his procedural bounds for someone in his position,” Pieters said referring to Sikiti’s evidence in which he admitted to having sex with one of the women.
Pieters found that the women made a professional impression on the court and accepted the evidence of one of the woman becauseshe had notified her husband at the start of inappropriate behaviour.
While Pieters said he thought the other woman may have been sexually assaulted by Sikiti, there was nothing to support her evidence.
She was a single witness and had to be treated with caution.
“I have a strong suspicion that her (the second woman’s) version is the truth but she is a single witness,” Pieters said.
Pieters found that the State proved beyond reasonable doubt that Sikiti was guilty of the indecent assault of the first woman but acquitted him of the sexual assault on the second woman.
State advocate Samantha Raphels told the court that Sikiti had no previous convictions, no pending cases and no warrants of arrest.
She asked that bail be set to secure that Sikiti return to court. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Pieters said.
Sikiti’s legal team, advocate Theresa Ruiters and attorney Cecily-Ann Daniels said they would appeal Pieters’s conviction.
Sentencing is set to start on April 5.
Cape Argus