One of the Boeremag treason trial accused had to be rushed to a district surgeon after apparently suffering a nervous breakdown in the Pretoria High Court on Monday.
Kobus Pretorius – whose two brothers and father are also on trial on charges including treason, terrorism and murder – suddenly jumped up and ran to the holding cells shortly after his advocate raised concerns about his client’s mental state.
Pretorius was admitted to a private hospital in Pretoria where he will receive psychological treatment. He is to remain under police guard.
Counsel for the recently divorced Pretorius told the court his client was in an emotional state and had asked to see a prison psychologist, but was told that the service was only available to sentenced prisoners.
His father, Dr Lets Pretorius, said on Sunday he would try to get a private psychologist to see his son as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, counsel for the Boeremag accused expressed concern about plans to move the accused from single cells in the Pretoria Local Prison to communal cells. Requests by several of the accused to remain in their cells to enable them to prepare for their trial properly were turned down. Pretorius’s advocate, Piet Pistorius, described planned move as ”emotional abuse” and ”intimidation”.
Pistorius said Correctional Services seemed to be ignoring an earlier court order that the accused had to be held in prison together.
He said the accused were considering bringing a further urgent application to enforce their rights.
”Why this game is being played with the accused at the cost of the greater interest of the case I don’t know,” Pistorius said.
Cross-examination of the third State witness, Free State potato farmer and self-confessed Boeremag coup plotter Henk van Zyl, finally resumed on Monday after earlier delays to resolve disputes
between defence counsel and the Legal Aid Board.
Answering questions from counsel for Jurie Vermeulen, one of the accused, Van Zyl admitted that only 21 men had been part of a planned attack to set off chaos in the country and facilitate a coup d’etat.
Vermeulen’s advocate said his client, who was a trained soldier, had realised early on that what the Boeremag members were talking about was ”Mickey Mouse stories” and was not a viable plan.
The trial continues. – Sapa