Pretoria - The court case against the wife of former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s wife, Norma Mngoma, has been postponed in the Pretoria magistrates court due to outstanding documents.
Mngoma who appeared in the court clad in a grey three-piece suit and accompanied only by her legal representative, appeared in court for charges of malicious damage to property and crimen injuria.
She was arrested by the Hawks in July for allegedly damaging a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon worth more than R3-million.
She had also initially faced charges for domestic violence and assault for allegedly assaulting her husband.
Those charges were subsequently excluded this morning by the state prosecutor.
However, the matter had to be delayed in the magistrate’s court as Gigaba’s legal counsel Victor Nkhwashu indicated that the State was still to furnish them the outstanding documents.
Mngoma will also be challenging the validity of her arrest and the warrant for her arrest in the North Gauteng High Court.
Nkhwashu said during her previous appearance in the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court, was that from the time the matter was being investigated by the Hawks, they had visited her house on numerous occasions.
However, despite this knowledge, the police only applied for a warrant for her arrest the day before and arrested her late on Friday late afternoon when the courts were already closed.
“So they knew where she lived but still went to apply for a warrant of arrest. One wonders why this was necessary they ought to have summoned her to appear in court without her having to spend a night in custody.”
She was released from the holding cells of Brooklyn police station in Pretoria on Saturday after posting bail of R5 000.
The matter was postponed to October 23 for further investigation.
Pretoria News