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For Jonisayi Maromo 
3h ago
Pretoria – The Crime Priority Investigation Directorate (Hawks) said Tuesday that legal representatives of fugitive Enlightened Christian Encounter (ECG) leader Shepherd Bushiri were arrested and taken to court, but their case was not recorded.
Hawks spokesman Col. Katlego Mogale said the elite crime-fighting unit has been investigating Bushiri’s legal representatives for crimes including corruption, intimidation and nullification of the purposes of justice since 2018 in connection with with the alleged withdrawal of statements from the women who had accused Bushiri of rape.
“The DPCI has taken note of the press release issued by Mr. Shepherd Bushiri with concern. As early as 2018, Lt. Col. Mrwebi has been investigating matters related to Shepherd Bushiri’s lawyers for corruption, thwarting the purposes of justice and intimidation after receiving alleged removal declarations from rape victims, ”Mogale said.
“Once the investigation was completed, the arrest warrants were obtained from the trial court and finally executed on March 1, 2021. The suspects were brought to court but could not be registered.”
Earlier Tuesday, Bushiri lamented that his South African investigating attorney, Terrance Baloyi, and legal adviser Alvin Khosa were “illegally” detained by the Hawks.
“On Monday, with deep shock and sadness, I learned how the Hawks, for eight hours, illegally detained my investigating attorney, Mr. Terrance Baloyi, and my legal advisor, Mr. Alvin Khosa. The illegal eight-hour detention also included an independent private investigation officer in South Africa, ”Bushiri said in a statement issued from Lilongwe, Malawi.
“This independent private investigator is the one I once hired to investigate acts of extortion and blackmail (blackmail) against me.”
Bushiri, wanted in South Africa on charges including fraud and money laundering, said the legal team was later released without charges being filed.
“It is shocking to note that after my investigating attorneys and the private investigator who, after having been illegally held in custody as convicted criminals, the main defenders of the State who issued the alleged arrest warrant were nowhere to be found and officials from the court (they stayed) with I have no choice but to release my lawyers under the banner of claiming that the police investigations are incomplete, but we know they have been investigating since 2017.
Worse still, they proceeded to arrest. Sheer malice, torture and harassment of lawyers at their best, ”said Bushiri.
“Although saddened, I am not surprised by this terrible arrest because it is only an escalation and intensification of a failed plan by certain Hawks officers who burned (pawned) to cover up the filth that I reported against them.”
He said that during his stay in South Africa, he had suffered persecution by Hawks officers who wanted to extort money from him. Bushiri has repeatedly listed the Hawks officers he accused of leading the charge against him as “Phumla Mrwebi, Colonel Corrie Maritz, Du Plessis and their colleagues.”
However, the preacher insisted that the Hawks officers he identified as Mrwebi, Maritz and others were still handling his case.
“I left South Africa because I was sure that with Mrwebi, Maritz and their team still handling my cases, as the situation is, I will not have justice before the South African judicial system. Mrwebi and Maritz know quite well that I have verified and documented evidence (print, audio and video) against each of their efforts to intimidate us and cover up the issues that I opened cases against them.
“That is why, to intensify and intensify their intimidation against us, Mrwebi and his team have illegally and unjustly arrested my investigating lawyers, lawyer Baloyi and lawyer Khoza. Furthermore, to cover up the intimidation and corruption case that I opened against them, Mrwebi and his team also illegally detained the Independent Private Investigation officer who was conducting the investigations against them. “
The Hawks, however, stated that Maritz was not part of the team investigating Bushiri.
The self-proclaimed prophet added that under the circumstances, he was not sure that South African lawyers could continue to represent him without fear of illegal arrests and detentions.
“I must add that this is (the) third time that my attorneys have been unjustly and illegally detained. How will I receive a fair trial without legal representatives since those who represent me face this type of harassment by certain members of the Hawks like Mrwebi? ”.
African News Agency (ANA)
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