Brown Mogotsi Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
North West businessperson and police informant Brown Mogotsi allegedly attempted to bribe the investigating officer in his staged assassination case, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.
Mogotsi was remanded in custody for a further three days pending verification of his address. State prosecutor Thami Mpekana said the address was submitted late and had initially sent police officers to the wrong residence.
Mogotsi’s attorney, William Sekgatja, said his client lived in a rural area in Mmabatho in North West and a pin location would assist police in verifying the address by Thursday.
Investigating officer Alfred Ondendaal submitted an affidavit, which was read out by Mpekana, detailing how Mogotsi allegedly attempted to influence him in order to get bail.
Ondendaal alleged that Mogotsi had asked him: “Is there something that I can do for you not to oppose my bail?”
“I immediately took offence because I understood it to be an attempt to offer a bribe in exchange for not opposing bail,” Ondendaal said. “I told him immediately that he must not think of taking that route with me.”
The investigating officer said Mogotsi had later offered information about other crimes, which he had rejected.
He said he opposed bail because Mogotsi’s account of the staged assassination incident was contradicted by the witness statement and CCTV footage.
Mogotsi was arrested in May on charges relating to an allegedly staged assassination attempt. His arrest came shortly after he lost a bid to stop advocate Matthew Chaskalson from cross-examining him at the Madlanga commission.
He faces charges of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place, defeating the ends of justice and perjury.
Ondendaal said Mogotsi’s red Chevrolet has been found with 11 bullet casings next to the vehicle.
“The ballistic evidence report shows that the vehicle was stationary when it was shot and that all the rounds that hit the vehicle originated from the same place and direction … It further shows there was no person in the vehicle at the time it was shot at,” he said.
The report also linked the firearms used in the incident to an attempted murder in Eldorado Park and an armed robbery in Roodepoort.
He said Mogotsi’s statement was supplied a week later through his attorney. Ondendaal said Mogotsi had suspiciously relieved his protection detail on the day of the shooting.
In an affidavit Sekgatja read out during Monday’s bail hearing, Mogotsi denied the allegations and said he appeared in court as a victim and not as a perpetrator.
“I respectfully submit that the interests of justice favour my release based on my personal circumstances,” he said.
Mogotsi said that on 3 November, he had been driving in Vosloorus when a bakkie began following him. “The vehicle following me made a U-turn, and I was shot at. I feared for my life, immediately alighted from my vehicle and fled.”
He said he had later opened a case of attempted murder. “I therefore deny the allegations that I staged an assassination attempt and put the state to the proof thereof. Such allegations are unfounded, speculative and inconsistent with the facts.”
Mogotsi also denied possessing firearms or discharging shots in a public area. He said he had complied with all law enforcement processes, including appearing before the Madlanga commission.
“The sequence of events demonstrates that I was the target of unlawful aggression and not the perpetrator of violence,” he said.
Mogotsi said he was self-employed and owned a mini-mall complex with nine tenants and a liquor restaurant employing 13 people. He said his businesses had been severely affected after a police raid in October 2025.
“I do not have relatives or assets outside the borders of South Africa. I submit that I am not a flight risk and have strong family ties in the country,” his affidavit stated.
Mogotsi will return to the dock on Thursday when the magistrate will decide whether to release him on bail.