/ 19 July 2007

Judge’s drunk-driving case postponed

The drunk-driving case against Judge Nkola Motata of the Pretoria High Court was postponed in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Motata was arrested on January 5 after crashing his car into a wall in Hurlingham in Johannesburg.

He allegedly resisted arrest and was put in a police car at the scene by five metro police officers.

The Star newspaper reported that on Thursday Motata’s lawyer, Yusuf

Dockrat, asked for leave to withdraw from the case as his services had been terminated by the judge.

Motata’s new attorney, Bantubonke Tokota said he would apply to have the matter heard in the High Court.

State prosecutor Zaais van Zyl told the court that there were new developments in the case since the judge’s last appearance, which meant both the defence and the state were not ready for trial.

Presiding officer Desmond Nair postponed the matter to September 3. The case was set down for trial on September 26 to 28 if the matters are finalised on September 3. – Sapa