Brown Mogotsi’s lawyer to challenge bail refusal

The legal team representing alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi has indicated its intention to appeal the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court’s decision to refuse him bail.

Mogotsi faces charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, and defeating the ends of justice. The charges stem from allegations that he orchestrated a staged assassination attempt on himself in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, in November last year.

The matter was postponed to 12 June following the court’s ruling.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, Magistrate Annalise Tlhapi cited concerns over inaccuracies in the residential addresses submitted by Mogotsi as part of his bail application, finding that the information presented to the court was unreliable.

However, Mogotsi’s attorney, Makau Sekgatja, argued that the discrepancy was minor and resulted from an honest error involving house numbers. He maintained that the defence had taken reasonable steps to verify the address and that a location pin had also been provided to assist the court.

Sekgatja expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, saying the defence believes the issue relating to the address was insufficient grounds to deny bail. He added that the address information had been supplied by Mogotsi’s wife and that the legal team had done everything reasonably possible to ensure its accuracy.

The defence is expected to pursue an appeal against the court’s decision.