‘Racist’ ex-realtor says footage is fake
THE RANDBURG Magistrate’s Court heard how former estate agent Vicky Momberg felt that the footage of her shouting racial insults at police officers was tampered with. On February 3 last year Momberg, 48, was caught on camera using abusive and racist language towards police officers, after they tried to assist her. Momberg was visibly upset. She had been a victim of a smash and grab theft.
“I watched the video and feel there’s tampering with the footage,” Momberg told the court. She said at the time she was traumatised. “Everything I said was trauma, I can’t explain… ”
Defence lawyer, advocate Joe Davidovitz, asked his client if she remembered calling one of the police officers a “black bastard and f ***ing k ***** .”
Momberg said she couldn’t remember as she was lashing out at everyone that night. She is facing four counts of crimen injuria for her alleged utterances.
Earlier when court proceedings resumed State prosecutor Yusuf Baba notified the court that an application had been made by the media to have video footage of the trial.
Speaking through her counsel, Momberg told the court that owing to her fragile emotional state she was not comfortable with testifying while there were cameras present in the courtroom, even if they were not recording the procedures.
Asked by her counsel Davidovitz how she felt after the attack, Momberg remained silent and then began to sob.
Back in the dock Momberg testified that she remembered three people, including a white police officer, whom she said was the first to approach her.
Davidovitz asked Momberg to tell the court what she could remember about the argument she said she had with the police officers. “I kept saying to him please can someone take me home,” she said.
Baba said: “According to your testimony you are not a racist… ”
To which Momberg responded that she wouldn’t say she was a racist because she had clients from various races.
Baba told Momberg that as much as she said she wasn’t a racist, she was caught on camera using the k-word 48 times. Momberg said she felt it was exaggerated.
She seemed to laugh before saying that at the time of the incident she didn’t want a black person near her. Baba referred to a similar case in Durban, where Momberg was charged and acquitted for crimen injuria.
Momberg allegedly asked to be assisted by anyone except a black person while she was seeking assistance at a Durban police station in 2006. – ANA