MONDAY, 4.30PM
FORMER Foundation for Peace and Justice chief Dr Allan Boesak wants his trial separated from that of FPJ bookkeeper Freddie Steenkamp, the Cape High Court heard on Monday.
Boesak, appearing briefly with Steenkamp, was not asked to plead. The state offering no objection, the trial was postponed to September 15 to give Boesak’s newly appointed senior counsel time to prepare for the case.
One of Boesak’s bail conditions, the requirement that he report to police in Cape Town or Pretoria every Sunday, was also scrapped by the presiding judge, Western Cape Judge President Gerald Friedman, with no objection from state prosecutor “JC” Gerber.
Counsel for Steenkamp, advocate Francois van Zyl, told the court that Steenkamp had not yet decided on his plea. Both Van Zyl and Boesak’s senior counsel, advocate Mike Maritz, gave notice that they will apply for separate trials on September 15.
Boesak and Steenkamp are facing 32 charges — 12 of fraud and 20 of theft. Between November 1988 and August 1994 Boesak allegedly used R1,1-million of donors’ money for his own benefit.