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CJ WANTED TO PRESIDE OVER OWN CASE - ACC

02/06/2015 04:33:00 BY KWANELE DLAMINI

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MBABANE – In true ‘Makhulu Baas’ fashion, the Chief Justice (CJ), Michael Mathealira Ramodibedi, is alleged to have demanded to preside over the matter in which a warrant of arrest was issued against him.

Registrar of the High Court Fikile Nhlabatsi is alleged to have allocated the matter to Principal Judge Stanley Maphalala after consulting with Judge Bheki Maphalala, who has since been appointed acting Chief Justice after the suspension of Ramodibedi. Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) investigator Sipho Mthethwa alleged, in the answering papers of the ACC to the application by Ramodibedi to revoke the warrant of arrest against him, that the suspended CJ angrily demanded the court file and that the matter should be moved before him.

Ramodibedi alleged, in his application, that the warrant of arrest had been unlawfully issued against him and had to be nullified.
These are allegations contained in an affidavit whose veracity is still to be tested in court.

The matter was postponed to Friday for arguments before Judge Mbutfo Mamba. It was heard in the acting CJ’s chamber yesterday. Ramodibedi is represented by Lawyer Sipho Mnisi of SS Attorneys.
ACC officers had allegedly been summoned to Ramodibedi’s residence following issuing of the warrants of arrest against him and Judge Mpendulo Simelane.

Mthethwa alleged that the ACC officers were informed by the Registrar of the High Court, Nhlabatsi, that they were summoned in connection with the ex parte application being made to the principal judge.

The investigating officer alleged that Ramodibedi angrily demanded to be given the court file. He alleged that the CJ informed them that he was the only CJ in the country and stressed that there cannot be two CJs.

Mthethwa alleged that he informed the CJ that it would not be proper to move the application before him as he had been criminally implicated in the investigation and was one of the suspects that the ACC was praying to arrest.