The defence team in the Maqubela murder trial warned that it would request a formal inquiry in the event of any unreasonable delays.
|||Cape Town - The defence team in the Maqubela murder trial warned on Thursday that it would request a formal inquiry in the event of any unreasonable delays.
Counsel Marius Broeksma gave notice in the Western Cape High Court that he would demand such an inquiry after the prosecution team had the case postponed to Monday for the testimony of a medical practitioner.
Thandi Maqubela and businessman Vela Mabena are on trial for the alleged murder of Maqubela's husband, acting judge Patrick Maqubela.
The judge was found dead in his apartment in Sea Point in June last year.
Prosecutors Bonnie Currie-Gambo and Pedro van Wyk allege that the judge was suffocated by means of a strip of plastic cling wrap placed over his face.
Maqubela and Mabena deny the murder charge and claim he died of natural causes.
Currie-Gambo told the court matters had to wait until Monday because the next witness, the judge's physician, lived in Port Elizabeth and was elderly and found travel uncomfortable.
Broeksma said he would demand a formal inquiry in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act in the event of any further unreasonable delays.
In terms of the act, the reasons for the further delays would have to be explained to the court.
If the court found them reasonable it would allow them, but the act empowered the court to refuse them if the delays were deemed unreasonable. - Sapa