Judge-killing case postponed

THANDI Maqubela and her coaccused are challenging the admissibility of their statements to the police.

The Joburg widow is accused of murdering her allegedly philandering husband, Patrick Maqubela, who was an acting judge on the Western Cape High Court Bench at the time of his death.

State advocate Bonnie Currie-Gamwo said in court yesterday that both accused, Maqubela and Vela Mabena, had indicated that they would proceed with trials within the trial.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesman Eric Ntabazalila confirmed to The Cape Times, The Mercury’s sister paper, that the State wanted Maqubela’s and Mabena’s statements to the police to be admitted as evidence.

There were two other developments in the case yesterday.

First, the Cling Wrap that was allegedly used to suffocate Patrick Maqubela was found and brought to the court.

Although it had been found after two weeks of searching, Maqubela’s advocate, Marius Broeksma, who had asked to see it, said he had no need for it for the time being.

Currie-Gamwo said the State would take the Cling Wrap for safekeeping.

The second development was news of a request to move the trial from the Cape Town Labour Court in Loop Street to the high court building.

Currie-Gamwo said that the Labour Court could no longer accommodate the trial and that the State had made arrangements with Judge President John Hlophe to move it to the high court.

The State was ready to proceed with the trials within a trial yesterday, but Broeksma requested a postponement.

Judge John Murphy postponed the trial until October 8. The trial is due to break for more than two weeks when the high court goes into recess from next week, and Judge Murphy decided that he would prefer to proceed when the recess ended, so as to avoid any interruptions.