Right-wingers’ treason case postponed again

The four right-wingers charged with treason following a suspected plot of a bomb attack on the ANC’s 53rd elective conference in Mangaung appeared briefly before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday this week.

Their case has been postponed to May 24 for further investigation. The trial is delayed due to ongoing investigations by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which are expected to result in more arrests.

One additional person has since been arrested in connection with the same alleged plot by Mark Trollip John, Martin Keevy, Johan Hendrik Prinsloo and Hein Boonzaaier. The latter is out on an R80 000 bail.

The four accused were arrested in December 2012 during the ANC Mangaung national elective conference that was held from December 16 to 21. Their alleged intention was to bomb the conference and wipe out the entire ANC leadership.

According to NPA spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, the state was satisfied with the ruling of the court, because three of the accused, Trollip, Keevy and Prinsloo, had failed in terms of Schedules 5 and 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1999 to give existing satisfactory evidence for the court to grant them bail.

He added that investigations are underway and the NPA cannot rule out the possibility of more arrests being made.

Bonzaaier is described as a right-winger who subscribes to the notion of an independent white nation in South Africa. He is the leader of the Federal Freedom Party (FFP), of which Prinsloo is operations manager. Bonzaaier is a businessman and also offers his services as an accountant to a music trust.

The state opposed bail and the four accused maintain that the state does not have a strong case against them. They have also submitted in their affidavits that they had no means or capacity to overthrow the ANC government.

They claim that they could never have been able to transport the G6 canon, which is said to weigh over 50 tons. They also deny that they were not in possession of, or never had access to weapons that were to be used for the coup d’état.

However, the state then submitted that it had enough evidence that “at the very least constituted prima facie proof” of their involvement in the charges brought forward against them. The state said theirs was a failed coup attempt, and that the four men failed in the duties assigned to them.

“In this regard, it is trite law that the accused have to show on a balance of probabilities that the state’s case against them is so weak that they will be acquitted and that this fact constitutes special circumstances as contemplated in the Act,” submitted prosecutor Shaun Abrahams.

Magistrate Hinxa found that Trollip implicated himself in Keevy’s and Prinsloo’s submitted evidence. Trollip also confessed to the crime.

Keevy’s lawyer asked the court to consider his family and personal circumstances to grant him bail. He added that that his arrest had adverse emotional and financial implications on him adding that he had a clean criminal record.

All four accused’s application for bail relied on their personal and medical conditions.

“Where an accused complained of not receiving proper medical attention whilst in incarceration, bail is not a remedy thereto and that accused has other legal remedies available,” responded Abrahams.

Abrahams further submitted that the risk of the accused following through with their intended conspiracy is a real likelihood if released on bail.

“The issue of untraced unlicensed firearms, unlawful ammunition, mortar bombs, the G6 canon and poison remain a great concern. Hence, the accused remain a danger to society. This is the factor which must seriously be considered by the Court.”

Abrahams added that where the safety of the community has been compromised or put under threat; it should take preference over the interest of the applicants. Trollip, Keevy and Prinsloo remain in police custody.