The State is continuing its cross-examination of businessman Brown Mogotsi in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Friday as his latest bid for bail persists.
Mogotsi is seeking his release on new facts after spending months in custody. He was arrested in May in connection with allegations surrounding an incident in which he is accused of staging an attempted assassination against himself. The State is opposing his release and has raised concerns about an alleged plan to escape from custody. Mogotsi has denied the allegations and challenged the State’s version of events during earlier proceedings.
Mogotsi took the witness stand during the previous court proceedings, where he disputed claims that he had planned to escape. The State has also put forward video footage which it says shows Mogotsi shooting at his own vehicle. However, Mogotsi has rejected the State’s interpretation of the footage. He told the court that he does not appear in the video and disputed the allegation that he was responsible for shooting at his own vehicle.
The latest proceedings are focused on whether Mogotsi has presented sufficient new facts to justify his release on bail. The court previously postponed the matter to allow the State to obtain court transcripts linked to its allegations that Mogotsi shot at his own vehicle. The State is now continuing with its questioning of Mogotsi as it challenges his version of events.
His latest bail application follows unsuccessful attempts to secure his release. In July, the Johannesburg High Court upheld the magistrate’s decision to refuse him bail, finding that the information presented did not amount to genuine new facts that justified his release.
For now, Mogotsi remains behind bars while the latest bail proceedings continue. No new bail ruling has been confirmed yet today.
He returns to court on 22 September.