Cape Town Regional Court magistrate Byron Pedro took exception on Wednesday to the interruption of the trial by police officers waiting to take alleged gang boss Colin Booysen into custody.
The head of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit was subsequently hauled before Pedro, News24 reported. Booysen was arrested in court for breaching bail conditions in another matter and was taken into police custody through a side entrance.
The court heard that a new warrant had been issued for Booysen's arrest while he was in court to appear for another trial.
Booysen – along with Nafiz Modack, Ashley Fields and Jacques Cronje – were in court for an ongoing extortion case related to an alleged racket which targeted the nightclub and restaurant security industry in Cape Town.
His attorney, Bruce Hendricks, told Pedro that a "fleet of officers" as well as the head of the police's gang unit, Major-General Andre Lincoln, were at the Cape Town Regional Court to apprehend his client for breaching his bail conditions in a separate murder case.
Pedro charged that the move could be seen as an abuse of power and impede on Booysen's right to a fair trial. The magistrate pointed out that the arrest could have been postponed until he adjourned at 4pm.
Lincoln said he understood the seriousness of the trial and would address what had transpired with his officers.
Hendricks requested a postponement as his client was unable to focus on the trial, knowing that officers were waiting to arrest him.
The Bellville Magistrate's Court issued the warrant after Booysen failed to report to the Belhar police station on Monday.
The reporting was one of his bail conditions following his arrest on a murder charge in which he was granted bail of R10 000 last month.
He and his co-accused, Vuyisane Macingwane and Kalvin Abels - his bodyguards - were arrested following the murder of Adrian Pietersen, who died in a shootout during an argument with Booysen in Belhar on September 28.