Businessman Adam Catzavelos may face a crimen injuria charge in Greece following his racist video that he recorded there on holiday last year.
His legal team confirmed in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday that they had received summons from Greece and were still going through the documents.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said: “The defence indicated that they would like to make representations to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. We are hoping come July 10 that outcome will be ready.”
She added that she would liaise with the investigating officer to establish the facts about Catzavelos’s summons from Greece.
Catzavelos also broke his silence on his racist behaviour in the recording he made in Greece. He said he got caught up in “a moment of madness”.
“In my moment of madness I am completely embarrassed and utterly ashamed of what I said and did. I express my deepest sympathy and sorrow to anyone whom I upset and to anyone whose dignity I harmed.
I had no intention of doing any of that. I’m here (in court) to face the consequences and to say sorry for any harm I may have caused to anyone,” he told the media.
His apology was not well received. Social media users said he was apologising only because he was caught out.
The EFF chairperson in Gauteng, Mandisa Mashego, who was also in court, was adamant that the law should take its course.
“He can apologise but we need the criminal justice system to help us. You can apologise and still do your time in jail, otherwise everyone will do as they wish and later claim to be sorry,” said Mashego.
She added that the case belonged to the people of Africa and the dignity they needed to get. “There’s a certain impression about South Africans that we are cry babies and don’t want to get over apartheid and colonialism, and so we make an issue of being name called,” said Mashego.
The case is to resume in July.