There were no court documents stolen during Shepherd Bushiri’s bail hearing at the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday.
This is according to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, which issued a statement on the matter on Tuesday.
Video clips
Video clips and images circulating on social media on Monday showed a court clerk taking some documents from the magistrate’s desk.
This sparked claims among some social media users that the documents, rumoured to be the case docket, may have been allegedly stolen by another individual seen in the clips.
However, the department said after conducting a “full investigation,” it could confirm that the magistrate’s bench notes “are in possession of the relevant court officials.”
“It is standard practice for the clerk of the court to retrieve the charge sheet, as the custodian of the court records, for further processing and storage,” Steve Mahlangu, the department’s spokesperson, said.
He added, “The interaction between the clerk of the court and the journalist seen in the video/images was based on the journalist requesting to have sight of the charge sheet. This is allowed and does not imply that any documents were removed from the courtroom.”
Case dockets
Mahlangu explained that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) holds all case dockets after receiving them from SA Police Service (SAPS) investigating officers.
“The dockets never get transmitted to a magistrate or judge hearing the matter. Therefore, the docket was not part of the documents that were exchanged between the court officials seen in the videos or images,” Mahlangu added.
The self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary Bushiri will return to the court on Wednesday (4 November) following bail hearings last week.
The magistrate is expected to rule on whether the couple, who have been in custody throughout the hearings, will get bail.
They face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering worth R102 million. Scores of their supporters have turned up outside court to show them their support, including ANC MP Boy Mamabolo.