Gigaba’s wife to challenge arrest in high court
Norma Gigaba, who has been charged with malicious damage to property and crimen injuria, will approach the High Court to challenge her arrest.
Gigaba, the wife of former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, briefly appeared in the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court in Pretoria yesterday morning.
She was arrested after allegedly causing extensive damage to a multimillion-rand MercedesBenz driven by her husband.
Gigaba is being represented by advocates Dali Mpofu and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi.
Mpofu told the court that it was agreed that the matter would be postponed to 14 September.
He added that they intended approaching the high court to bring certain civil matters in relation to the case. They would also deal with the validity of the charges.
Mpofu also wanted to confirm that after Gigaba was released on bail on Saturday, an arrangement was made that she would be staying with friends for the rest of the weekend, but that she would now be able return to home.
The magistrate said there was nothing on record that limited Gibaba’s movement or prohibited her from returning home, but there would have to be an inquiry made to the magistrate who granted her bail on Saturday.
Following the short court appearance, Gigaba’s lawyer, Victor Nkwashu, said that among
Gigaba should have been warned, arrest was not necessary
others, there would be civil litigation launched to challenge her arrest.
Nkwashu said that based on the charges, Gigaba should have been warned to appear in court and that her arrest was not necessary. He added that they would also be challenging the involvement of the Hawks in the matter.
Nkwashu said that Gigaba was traumatised after spending a winter’s night in custody away from her children.
News24 earlier reported that Gigaba was arrested after she allegedly badly damaged a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon belonging to Malusi Gigaba’s friend, trade unionist Peterson Siyaya.
According to the charge sheet, the vehicle belongs to her husband.
As for the crimen injuria charges, the charge sheets states that Gigaba sent an insulting SMS accusing an unnamed person of selling tenders, sleeping with older women and using her husband as a “ticket to cheating with women”. – News24 wire