This article first appeared in the 29 June 2022 edition of the Cape Argus newspaper.
Cape Town - A lawyer has been granted R20 000 bail by the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court after he was caught trying to smuggle drugs to his client who was appearing in court.
Ayanda Lennox Pupa, 39, from Litha Park, Khayelitsha, was at the Wynberg Regional Court on June 15 to represent a client, Vuyolwethu Nobuntu, 29, who was in custody at Pollsmoor Prison and was to appear in court on another matter.
Pupa was charged with possession and dealing in drugs after police caught him trying to hand a sealed package of drugs to Nobuntu.
The package contained 60 mandrax tablets, 20 units of cocaine, four packets of tik (methamphetamines), and two parcels of dagga (cannabis).
During his bail application it was explained that after Pupa arrived at court he spoke to Nobuntu’s family, then requested to speak to his client. He was advised that he could communicate with his client only while Nobuntu was in the dock.
When Nobuntu arrived, the two spoke and Pupa took out a packet wrapped with sticky tape and handed it over to him in front of police.
In an affidavit, detective Yongama Luyenge said: “When he was asked by the police what the package was, he claimed it was medication for Nobuntu. The police requested to see what was handed to Nobuntu, and during that period the accused quickly went out of the court. Nobuntu explained to police that he does not know the accused and he doesn’t even know what was recently handed to him.
“With the assistance of other police officers and security officers the accused was brought back to court. A search was conducted of Nobuntu and it was discovered that the accused handed over a packet of drugs in a plastic wrapped with sellotape to Nobuntu. When the accused was asked about this, he apologised and claimed that he was drunk and didn’t know the package contained drugs.”
This is the second time Pupa was caught in court with drugs. At the time of his arrest he was out on R3 000 bail for possession of drugs at the Bellville Regional Court.
For his bail application at the Wynberg court, Pupa said he had several matters being heard at different courts, and was representing those accused.
“It is in the interest of those accused persons that I be released on bail so that their matters are not delayed. My incarceration would prolong their cases and that is not in the interest of justice,” he said.