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Court dismisses Joao Rodrigues’ appeal

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Former apartheid police officer Joao Rodrigues’ application for leave to appeal has been dismissed by the High Court in Johannesburg regarding the rejection of his bid for a permanent stay of prosecution.

Rodrigues is accused of the murder of anti-Apartheid activist Ahmed Timol in 1971.

An inquest found Timol was thrown to his death from the 10th floor of the Johannesburg Central Police Station.

The 80-year-old had argued that the prosecution would violate his right to dignity as he would be tried at his old age for a crime allegedly committed 48 years ago.

However, a full bench of judges at the High Court found that there were no compelling reasons submitted to the court to grant Rodrigues’ application.

Ahmed Timol’s nephew, Imtiaaz Cajee has welcomed the dismissal saying that Rodrigues must account for his alleged crimes.

Cajee says “I think we are simply delighted that the full bench has dismissed the application for leave to appeal for Joao Rodrigues and it is something that we anticipated. They aren’t arguing the actual merits of the case against their client but looking at political interference and the time delays as an excuse and we glad that the full bench has dismissed the application.”

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