The case between mining magnate Roger Kebble, his company Skilled Labour Brokers (SLB) and the government of South Africa has been further delayed, Kebble said in a statement on Wednesday.
The charges against Kebble relate to SLB’s dealings with mining company Durban Roodepoort Deep (DRD).
Johannesburg Regional Court Magistrate Stephanus Bezuidenhout said on Wednesday that the case will now be heard again on January 10 2005, more than two years after Kebble was arrested. Bezuidenhout said “system limitations” are to blame.
However, Kebble said he welcomes the fact that a trial date has now been set.
“We now have the chance to have the matter considered in a court of law, rather than the court of public opinion,” he added.
“I have no doubt that the court will find the allegations against SLB to be unfounded, as I have always maintained they are,” said Kebble.
The charges relate to a commercial dispute stemming from payments made to SLB for various services to be contracted on behalf of DRD.
Kebble has maintained that SLB’s affairs were completely above board and the charges are baseless, but in spite of this he was arrested in November 2002.
It was only eight months later, in July 2003, when Johannesburg Magistrate Hein Louw finally told the prosecution to produce a charge sheet within 30 days or have the case dismissed that the state prosecution team came up with a charge sheet on August 28 2003.
The state prosecution team then led the court to believe that the investigation was complete.
In March this year, when there was still no progress in the state prosecution’s investigation, Kebble’s legal team applied to have the case struck from the roll; an action that spurred the state to declare that it is now ready to proceed to trial — almost a year after the initial final 30-day deadline.
Lourens van Staden of Tabacks Attorneys, head of Roger Kebble’s legal team, said: “Last Friday the state said it was now finally ready to proceed with the trial, whether that is correct, we still have to see. Circumstances surrounding the most recent delay are highly suspicious and my client is currently considering what steps to take in this regard.
“The original order to the state, nearly a year ago, was to have its case ready within 30 days, has been honoured by the state only in the breach thereof,” he added.
“When you take all these factors into consideration it is clear there was no need for Roger Kebble to be arrested when he was, let alone be locked up,” Van Staden said. — I-Net Bridge