Case telling on teary ex-speaker

COURT: DEFENCE TO ASK FOR GRAFT CHARGES TO BE DROPPED

- Molefe Seeletsa

Former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was emotional in court yesterday and appeared to be wiping tears from her eyes as her defence team indicated it may apply to have the corruption charges against her dropped.

The case, which is being heard at the High Court in Pretoria, was postponed.

She won a partial victory in April, when she succeeded in compelling the state to disclose parts of the case docket.

During yesterday's proceedings, her new lawyer, advocate Cronje Kriel, informed Judge Mokhine "Papi" Mosopa he had not had sufficient time to study the docket, which consists of 26 arch lever files, as he only received it last week.

"At this stage, we are working on a docket that we have not finalised and we haven't perused it," he said.

Kriel also said the defence intends to subpoena bank statements linked to the money laundering and corruption charges against his client.