About 800 pages of a so-called secret informer file was handed to defence counsel in the Boeremag treason trial on Wednesday.
This followed after senior counsel for the police, Bert Bam, studied the file and concluded that the defence was entitled to certain of the documents.
He said irrelevant information and documents that had direct bearing on the police’s informant systems and the protection of an informer and his information were not handed over.
The police initially opposed any access to the file, compiled on the strength of information supplied by police spy Johannes Smit. The defence applied for access to the file when it appeared that Smit’s statement and evidence had been compiled out of reports written by Superintendent Louis Pretorius, Smit’s police handler.
The originals of several documents handed in as evidence, also appeared to form part of the file.
Smit earlier testified that he had regularly reported to Pretorius while he infiltrated the inner circle of the Boeremag and became party to a an alleged coup plot.
Bam stressed that providing the information would in no way endanger the safety of informants.
Rudi Lubbe, appearing for the accused Tom Vorster, told the court he was in the process of preparing an urgent application to enforce his client’s rights in the Pretoria prison.
He said Vorster had been exposed to rain in his cell four times over the past few days because six out of the eight windows were broken. He was also refused all contact visits and complained about the unhygienic handling of his medication and food.
He said it appeared Correctional Services had fixed only the broken windows in the cells of those accused who previously instituted urgent proceedings, but that the rest of the prisoners who were kept in similar circumstances were ignored.
Bernard Bantjes, for the accused Dirk Hanekom, said he would bring a similar application. ”It looks as if these people are purposely and maliciously misleading us during negotiations,” he said.
The continues on Friday. – Sapa