The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that the defence lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa murder case, Advocate Malesela Teffo has been charged for failure to appear in court in January on trespassing charges.
Advocate Teffo has been granted R10 000 bail by the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court and will be back in the same court at end of next month. He insists that top officials at the NPA and SAPS are behind his arrest.
Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane says Teffo is playing the victim.
“He is the one who should’ve been responsible enough to attend court and obviously once he’s in contravention of a court order for him to appear in court, it is an offense and as the NPA we need to take necessary action. The procedure is such that if one does not attend court, the prosecutor will apply for a warrant of arrest and that is what happened in this instant,” says Mjonondwane.
VIDEO: Legal and transformation practitioner Thabo Masombuka on Adv Teffo’s arrest in court:
Advocate Teffo will be back in the same court on May 27.
He was arrested on Thursday, following proceedings in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Advocate Teffo allegedly failed to appear in a trespassing matter.
Advocate Teffo is representing four of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial.
This is how the magistrate read out the order.
“In light of the fact that this is the second time that the accused has not appeared in this court and this is the second time that a warrant of arrest was authorised, issued and executed against the accused, I am of the view that an amount of R10 000 is suitable, reasonable and justified. The bail amount is accordingly then ordered by this court to stand at R10 000.”
