GERMAN fugitive Jurgen Harksen, in custody pending the outcome of his appeal against extradition, on Thursday brought a new bail application in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
His new legal team, advocate Koos Louw and attorney Zirk Mackay, told the court the application was in terms of the Extradition Act, and had nothing to do with fraud charges pending against him in South Africa.
Harksen, who had consented to extradition to Germany following his arrest on South African fraud allegations, recently dismissed his previous legal team, advocates Rob McDougall, SC, and Anton Katz.
He has since lodged a High Court appeal to set aside the extradition order.
At Thursday’s hearing, Louw said Harksen was not a flight risk, and contended that the State’s argument that he had a propensity to commit fraud was inappropriate.
Louw said the South African fraud charges pending against Harksen were ”fraught with irregularities”.
Prior to his consent to extradition, Harksen was on bail pending the outcome of his extradition hearing.
However, he was taken back into custody on two counts. The first involved his alleged failure on three occasions to report to the Wynberg police, as required by his bail conditions. On this particular count, an inquiry is scheduled to resume on Friday in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The second count involved the South African fraud charges, for which both he and his wife Jeanette were recently arrested. She was released on R25 000 bail. – Sapa