A man accused of holding several staff members of the Pretoria News hostage was on Thursday declared fit to stand trial.
A report by the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital was handed up at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, stating 33-year-old Lionel George from Danville would understand the court proceedings and was able to contribute meaningfully to his defence.
It further stated that he did not suffer from a mental disorder that could have affected his ability to distinguish between right and wrong during the alleged offence.
George was arrested on April 25 this year after a gunman held about eight advertising personnel of the newspaper hostage, threatening to shoot them.
After the police’s task team and hostage negotiators spent hours on the scene, the hostages were released. However, the suspect only handed himself over much later.
During the incident a policeman was shot in the leg.
George is facing charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and the pointing of an object which was likely to lead a person to believe it was a firearm.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on November 20.
The case was postponed for a ballistic report. — Sapa