The lawyer representing Advocate Malesela Teffo says he is with his client at the Hillbrow Police Station, in Johannesburg, waiting for the prosecutor to get the details on the arrest.
Teffo, who is representing four of the men accused of murdering Senzo Meyiwa, was arrested in dramatic fashion inside the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria earlier on Thursday, just after the trial of the alleged killers had been postponed.
Teffo’s attorney, Timothy Thobane, confirmed that Teffo, was facing a charge of trespassing, but he is no longer facing it.
“The warrant of arrest that they came to arrest him with was actually cancelled. They used a cancelled warrant, to arrest him, he was facing, he’s no more facing, it’s trespassing. Advocate Teffo, represents even the police officers, he was supposed to have represented them in the provincial office in Johannesburg, SAPS ( South African Police Service) provincial office. Then when he went there, that is when they arrested him, and said he was not supposed to be there,” says Thobane.
Teffo’s lawyer reacts to his client’s arrest at North Gauteng High Court
I’ve been arrested on a fraudulent warrant of arrest : Advocate Teffo
Advocate Malesela Teffo says he was arrested on a fraudulent warrant.
The warrant is understood to have been issued in January. Teffo told the SABC his previous warrant of arrest was cancelled.
“I’ve been arrested on a fraudulent warrant of arrest which according to what was obtained on the 27th of January this year. I got a cancellation of a warrant of arrest on the 28th of December last year with my attorney. So this one I was not even aware I was supposed to come to court and in so far as an allegation of trespassing. I was arrested in 2020 and that allegation of trespassing was withdrawn. I made legal representation, it was withdrawn on the 21st of December in 2021,” says Teffo.
Adv Malesela Teffo sent SABC News the voice note below while in detention at the Hillbrow Police station on Thursday.
LISTEN
Adv Malesela Teffo sent #SAfmBTH producer @miss_andisa this voicenote while in detention at the Hillbrow Police station.
Adv Teffo says another warrant of arrest with the same case number was cancelled last year. Check the next for that warrant #SenzoMeyiwa pic.twitter.com/twolg9efN1
— Aldrin Sampear (@AldrinSampear) April 28, 2022
Last year Adv Teffo was arrested twice in the space of two weeks as reported by City Press. One case was a contempt of court matter and the other trespassing and assault. #SAfmBTH pic.twitter.com/79TAFfO3Wh
— Aldrin Sampear (@AldrinSampear) April 28, 2022
Senzo Meyiwa Murder Trial | SABC News reporter talks about Advocate Malesela Teffo’s arrest
Meanwhile, instructing attorney Thabiso Thobane earlier told the court they have been receiving intimidating calls since Monday.
Thabane says, “Can you imagine while you’re at home someone calls you and asks if you know a particular acting judge, then if you ask why you are asking me that question,then he drops the phone, the next thing he calls again then I can hear paperwork on the take. In one day I received five calls, during lunch we received a tip that they want to arrest my advocate. Those are intimidation tactics.”
[JUST IN] Minister of Police General Bheki Cele confirms that he has requested a full report from the National Commissioner on the arrest of Adv Teffo today at the Pretoria high court, including the manner in which the arrest was conducted by @SAPoliceService
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) April 28, 2022
Video: Senzo Meyiwa murder trial | 28 April 2022
