Former Fidentia boss returns to court

Cape Town 09-10-12 -Arthur Brown at the High Court Picture Brenton Geach

Cape Town 09-10-12 -Arthur Brown at the High Court Picture Brenton Geach

Published Nov 12, 2012

Share

Johannesburg - The trial of former Fidentia chief executive J Arthur Brown is expected to resume in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

The case was postponed on Tuesday as defence attorney June Marks was absent and Brown was not asked to plead.

He appeared before Judge Pearl Mantame, who said she had been allocated to the case, which was scheduled to start immediately.

But senior State prosecutor, Jannie van Vuuren, told the court that Judge President John Hlophe had indicated on Monday that he did not yet have a judge available.

There had been a number of delays, a more recent one caused by Brown's dismissal of his Legal Aid-appointed counsel and his appointment of Marks instead.

Hlophe had warned Brown in August that his R1-million bail would be revoked, and the case would commence with or without legal representation, if he were not ready for trial in October.

However, the case could not begin in October as scheduled, because there had been no judge available, and the matter was postponed to November 6, Van Vuuren said. He had been informed by the DPP on Monday that there was still no judge available, and that for this reason the case had to be postponed to November 12.

Brown is expected to plead to nine charges involving fraud, theft, corruption and money-laundering. - Sapa

Related Topics: