In an investigation to determine whether there have been any unreasonable delays in the case against former Eskom boss Matshela Koko and 18 other people, JOHANNESBURG- Load shedding, ironically, has sent a spanner to the works for judgment.
The case is regarded as a landmark state capture case because it involves contracts worth billions of rands for work at the Kusile power plant that were awarded to organizations connected to Koko’s friends and family.
However, more than a year after the initial arrests, the investigation was called into session in response to the State’s second request to postpone it in September.
Due to load shedding and concerns about the functionality of the recording equipment, magistrate Stanley Jacobs had to adjourn the case this afternoon before beginning his decision in the Middelburg Regional Court on Tuesday morning.
However, it is anticipated that the proceedings will soon resume.
Jacobs has emphasized that justice will ultimately prevail in this case and that his decision does not address the merits of the case but rather technical issues.
Additionally, he has emphasized the accused’s right to a fair trial, which includes the freedom to start and end their case as soon as possible.
He continued,” The court must take into account that investigations first started in 2017 even though the case was only filed in court last October.”