The case of former spy boss Billy Masetlha and two accused was postponed in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday.
Masetlha and his co-accused — Muziwendoda Kunene, a software salesperson, and Sunokwakhe Madladla, former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) manager for electronic surveillance — are charged with fraud.
Masetlha’s attorney, Neil Tuchtea, asked for the postponement because statements about the case were only delivered to the defence on Tuesday, and the defence had not yet obtained the assistance of an expert to deal with certain evidence in the state’s possession.
State attorney Gynnis Breytenbach had no objections.
The case relates to hoax emails implicating senior African National Congress members in a supposed conspiracy against the ANC’s deputy president, Jacob Zuma, and secretary general, Kgalema Motlanthe.
Kunene was contracted by the NIA to intercept emails and electronic communications. He handed several documents he claimed were intercepted to Madladla.
It was later found that the documents were fabricated and did not originate from the persons alleged to have written them.
President Thabo Mbeki fired Masetlha in March last year after details of the hoax email saga became public.
The case was postponed to July 2 for plea and trial. — Sapa