Charges dropped against connected’ MP
ANC MP Myamezeli Booi is a free man after the Randburg Magistrates ’ Court withdrew all charges against him on Thursday.
Magistrate Cathy Mnisi withdrew charges of intimidation, assault and interfering with police duties against Booi on his second appearance. This has saved Booi a possible lengthy and costly legal court battle.
Booi, who was out on R500 bail, was arrested last month at his home in Morningside, north of Joburg, following a confrontation with the cops.
The charges stem from his allegedly threatening and insulting the police, who were in hot pursuit of his wife Jacqueline.
The cops had tried to stop Booi’s 39-year-old wife after they noticed that she was driving her luxury Mercedes Benz recklessly.
But she refused to stop and sped off to her plush home. She allegedly opened and slipped through the home’s remote-controlled gate and closed it before the cops could catch up with her.
Booi, who was at home, allegedly came out of the house and began telling the officers to
“f*** off from my house”, “voetsek ”, “f*** you ”, and also threatened that they would lose their jobs as he was “going to deal with them”.
Officers allegedly called for back-up and more police were deployed to the scene and they managed to force their way into Booi’s residence. This is when he allegedly grabbed one of the officers by his shirt and began to slap him.
The officer allegedly sustained chest injuries during the tussle.
Booi allegedly told the cops that he was highly connected and was friends with Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros.
Booi was back in court on Thursday armed with a new lawyer, Victor Nkwashu, after allegedly firing his instructing attorney on record, Mohammed Maharaj, telephonically on Wednesday night.
It took less than 10 minutes for Nkwashu to argue successfully for charges against his client to be withdrawn. State prosecutor Catharine Swart did not object to the charges being withdrawn against Booi.
A letter attached to the charge sheet compiled by the court’s senior public prosecutor, Petros Skhosana, asking for all charges to be withdrawn against Booi, seems to have saved the day.
The letter, dated and signed on June 14, states no reasons. A visibly relieved Booi left and made no attempt to recover his bail money.
chelemuk@sundayworld.co.za