By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The case involving the suspended SA Police Services (SAPS) Deputy National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, has been postponed once again.
Sibiya returned to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, where he continued with his bail application.
The 59-year-old is facing fives charges: three counts of sexual grooming, one count of human trafficking and one count of rape.
On Wednesday, the state attempted to put forward its version that Sibiya threatened Mr M, the father of the complainant, following his arrest.
The court played audio recordings of calls between Sibiya and Mr M.
The state argued that when Sibiya’s words to Mr M that he was easiest person to deal with amounted to threats.
Sibiya’s defence attorney, advocate Estelle Killian, confirmed the conversation took place, she said a longer conversation took place before the recording began.
“Mr M called Sibiya wanting to go to his house. The applicant says he did not threaten Mr M. What he did say to him is that Mr M must know that he’s not the only one who can carry on threatening and intimidating people,” argued Killian.
The defence further read an affidavit deposed by Sibiya’s wife, Sizakhele Dlamini, as the Magistrate questioned its relevance.
Sibiya’s lawyer proceeded with it, inadvertently revealing more about Sibiya’s dealings than intended.
“Mr M said he decided to approach Sibiya’s wife directly because he was “disturbed” by the way Sibiya was presenting him in court.
“He told me he had been recording the applicant and keeping records of meetings that took place, which he witnessed himself,” said Sibiya’s wife.
He did this to protect himself.
The court further heard that Mr M has a “substantial” amount of information and documentation about missing people, senior politicians, and alleged criminal activity that he can provide to the appropriate investigators “if necessary”.
He hoped matters wouldn’t reach this far, but if statements about him continue to be made that are “inaccurate”, he will respond “by providing the relevant evidence to the proper channels piece by piece”.
Sibiya’s bail application has been postponed until Tuesday, 13 October, when the state is expected to provide the court with affidavits from Mr M and the 18-year-old complainant.
Meanwhile political fixer Oupa Brown Mogotsi’s defence will return to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on 23 October to argue an application, seeking an order compelling the state to share witness information ahead of his upcoming trial.
Elsewhere the Durban High Court has lifted its restriction on reporting witness evidence in the murder trial of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, allowing the media to report and broadcast the trial.