Drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti, accused of murdering mining tycoon Brett Kebble, was postponed yesterday until July 2 following an agreement between the state and the defence, as there had been "other developments".
The Scorpions' investigating director, advocate Thanda Mngwengwe, told Johannesburg magistrate Simon Radasi that the Agliotti murder trial was interlinked with other matters, hence the need for a postponement.
The person who usually leads the prosecution against Agliotti, advocate Gerrie Nel, was not present yesterday. Agliotti's counsel, Lawrence Hodes, told the court that there had been distractions in the past two weeks that had caused delays. It is possible he was referring to the investigation of suspended police commissioner Jackie Selebi .
Selebi has admitted knowing Agliotti, but denied he knew Agli-otti was involved in criminal activities. It has been reported that Agliotti telephoned Selebi from the scene of Kebble's murder in September 2005.
In its indictment filed with the Pretoria High Court, where Selebi failed to prevent the National Prosecuting Authority from serving a warrant for his arrest, the state claimed Selebi received payments from Agliotti in return for favours.
Kebble was killed when his car was sprayed with bullets in Johannesburg in 2005. When Agliotti was arrested for the murder, in November 2006, he claimed that the killing had been an "assisted suicide". Agliotti said there were many dry runs before the murder itself. He said Kebble had initially planned to drug his pilot, causing his plane to crash, but later opted for a "botched car hijacking instead"
Agliotti, who is under house arrest, struck a plea bargain with the state last month on drug-dealing charges. He pleaded guilty in the Germiston Magistrate's Court to receiving R150000 from Steve Paparas, in exchange for transporting and storing drugs . He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, and fined R300000. He agreed to pay R200000 into the criminal asset recovery account.
Agliotti will remain under house arrest. Paparas and two others will appear in the R250m drug case in March.
The Scorpions' investigating director, advocate Thanda Mngwengwe, told Johannesburg magistrate Simon Radasi that the Agliotti murder trial was interlinked with other matters, hence the need for a postponement.
The person who usually leads the prosecution against Agliotti, advocate Gerrie Nel, was not present yesterday. Agliotti's counsel, Lawrence Hodes, told the court that there had been distractions in the past two weeks that had caused delays. It is possible he was referring to the investigation of suspended police commissioner Jackie Selebi .
Selebi has admitted knowing Agliotti, but denied he knew Agli-otti was involved in criminal activities. It has been reported that Agliotti telephoned Selebi from the scene of Kebble's murder in September 2005.
In its indictment filed with the Pretoria High Court, where Selebi failed to prevent the National Prosecuting Authority from serving a warrant for his arrest, the state claimed Selebi received payments from Agliotti in return for favours.
Kebble was killed when his car was sprayed with bullets in Johannesburg in 2005. When Agliotti was arrested for the murder, in November 2006, he claimed that the killing had been an "assisted suicide". Agliotti said there were many dry runs before the murder itself. He said Kebble had initially planned to drug his pilot, causing his plane to crash, but later opted for a "botched car hijacking instead"
Agliotti, who is under house arrest, struck a plea bargain with the state last month on drug-dealing charges. He pleaded guilty in the Germiston Magistrate's Court to receiving R150000 from Steve Paparas, in exchange for transporting and storing drugs . He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, suspended for five years, and fined R300000. He agreed to pay R200000 into the criminal asset recovery account.
Agliotti will remain under house arrest. Paparas and two others will appear in the R250m drug case in March.
Comments