No political pressure in Yengeni trial says metro cop
The Cape Town Metro Police sergeant who arrested ANC heavyweight Tony Yengeni, on Friday denied being pressured to make a false statement incriminating the politician in a drunk driving case.
“I am not under pressure from anyone,” said Sergeant Jonas Gomba while being cross-examined by Yengeni’s legal counsel advocate Dirk Uys. “I am not working for any political party, I am on my own.”
Uys was trying to poke holes in the State’s case, intimating that there was political pressure on Gomba and two other metro officers to ensure Yengeni was convicted.
“When it was discovered that Mr Tony Yengeni, an ANC politician, had been arrested, people put pressure on you to remember more,” said Uys.
Gomba continuously denied having been pressurised, despite having submitted a second statement 10 months after he had arrested Yengeni on August 11, 2013.
In this second statement, Gomba detailed the information he had omitted in his initial statement; details such as Yengeni’s allegedly bloodshot eyes and having handed his belongings over to his girlfriend.
Uys did not leave it at political pressure, putting Gomba’s knowledge of Cape Town roads and the law under the microscope along with his apparent “waffling” when under pressure, and accusing Gomba of lying to the court.
In one instance, Uys ripped into Gomba’s account of Yengeni almost knocking a curb outside of the Cape Town International Convention Centre with his white Maserati. Gomba had, however, omitted this in his original statement.
“Can I give you an even simpler reason why you didn’t put that in?” asked Uys, “Because you didn’t see it happen.”
Gomba responded, “Are you saying that I am lying?” to which Uys hit back “Yes, I am.”
Throughout, Yengeni, dressed in a navy blue suit and crisp white shirt, moved between watching his legal counsel at work while flicking through his Twitter feed on his iPad.
On November 27, Yengeni pleaded not guilty to both the drunk driving and reckless driving charges, as well as the alternative charges of inconsiderate driving and driving with an excessive amount of alcohol in his blood.
At the time, Uys said Yengeni would not immediately disclose the nature of his defence, but indicated that, “the blood sample taken from the accused, we will allege was taken in contravention on his constitutional rights to privacy”. The trial continues on January 18.
ANA
Photo: ANA