Case against NCC leader Fadiel Adams postponed to Friday

The bail application of National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams was postponed to Friday, after it resumed in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

He faces two counts of defeating the ends of justice and three counts of fraud over his alleged interference in the Sindiso Magaqa murder investigation.

Before proceedings got underway, the court was informed that Adams had taken on an additional Durban-based legal team led by retired state advocate Yuri Gangai.

Attorney Bruce Hendricks and his team took a back seat in the matter.

Gangai argued that his client was not a flight risk.

"My political party, my constituents, and my community all have a profound stake in my remaining in this country and standing trial. My wife and our two kids are South African citizens residing in Cape Town. My elderly mother, who is 83, is financially and medically dependent. These ties are not merely minimal," he said when reading Adams' affidavit.

However, State Prosecutor Nokulunga Ngcobo argued that Adams could interfere with witnesses if released on bail.

"This not only hampers the police's ability of the police to effectively execute their constitutional mandate, but also compromises the fairness and the effectiveness of the broader criminal justice system."

WHATSAPP MESSAGES PROVE ADAMS' ALLEGED INTERFERENCE - STATE

Ngcobo began proceedings by reading an affidavit from the investigating officer, in which he alleges that Adams illegally recorded prison interviews with inmates linked to high-profile political killings and corruption cases.

The court heard that Adams later circulated the material on social media while the matters were still before the courts.

Ngcobo said they have WhatsApp messages and witness statements supporting the allegation.

“ From all the statements obtained, it is clear that the applicant's intentions were to redirect, obstruct, disturb, and/or defeat the course of the ongoing investigation in Sindiso Magaqa's case, to influence the outcome and to undermine the work of the political killings task team on the cases of Bonginkosi Dlamini, and other matters,” Ngcobo told the court.

Adams allegedly publicised a sworn statement linked to the Sindiso Magaqa murder trial, with prosecutors arguing it interfered with ongoing investigations and court proceedings.

Several social media videos, allegedly posted by Adams, were also played in court, in which he accused members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) of intimidation and corruption.

“The applicant went on social media again and indicated that he is aware that the PKTT is continuing looking for him, and he wants to give an update,” said the State prosecutor.

“I'm not in hiding for anybody that's asking. I'm moving around freely because if you find me, you arrest me, that's fine. But if you are insisting that I hand myself over to a team known for assaulting and killing people because they say they have a warrant that they won't produce, then you don't understand Cape coloureds,” Adams said in the video.

The State further alleges that Adams arranged a blue-light police escort to Westville Prison at the state's expense.

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