WEDNESDAY, 4.30PM
CONVICTED murderer and former policeman and Civil Co-operation Bureau operative appeared briefly on Wednesday in the Pretoria Regional Court.
The case was postponed to September 17 to determine a date for high court hearing. Barnard was remanded in custody and is expected to bring a bail application on Monday. His legal representative said he will ask the judge president of the Pretoria High Court to hear the case next January.
WEDNESDAY, 9.30AM
FERDI BARNARD, the Civil Co-operation Bureau operative and convicted murderer finally arrested on Monday for the 1989 murder of academic Dr David Webster, will appear in court on Wednesday morning on 24 charges.
Barnard, who was first linked to Webster’s killing within days of the assassination, stands charged with Webster’s murder, the attempted murder of current Justice Minister Dullah Omar and activist Bruce White, the burning of a former student activist’s car and various charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, housebreaking and fraud.
It is believed the charges against Barnard do not relate specifically to revelations in the truth commission or to CCB activities, but Barnard’s lawyer Piet du Plessis said the charge sheet directly implicates others in the CCB, making it possible that Barnard’s CCB colleagues could join him in the dock.
Barnard was implicated in the Webster murder by friends and acquaintances and the 1990 Harms commission inquiry heard allegations of his involvement in the killing. The 1993 inquest into Webster’s murder found a conspiracy to murder, but presiding Judge Michael Stegmann could not say who was responsible.
Barnard has not applied to the truth commission for amnesty for any act, although a former colleague, Mark Nielsen, has applied, claiming he pulled the trigger on Webster. Nielsen also claims to have supplied the AK47 used in the assassination of Swapo lawyer Anton Lubowski.