More Than 10 Criminal Cases Linked to Businessman Brown Mogotsi Submitted to NPA for Review
- Police forwarded over 10 case dockets against businessman Brown Mogotsi to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
- Mogotsi's past includes a 2011 murder case that remained unresolved for over a decade
- Mogotsi said he had been formally charged with murder and that the case was enrolled in court
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
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NORTH WEST - Police in the North West Province have forwarded more than 10 case dockets linked to controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) after the prosecuting body requested them.
Murder case reported in 2011
According to IOL, the cases involve allegations of kidnapping, murder, assault, reckless and negligent driving, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice. Among the files is a murder case reported in 2011 in which a man died later the same day after being taken to a clinic. The request followed Mogotsi's appearance before the Ad Hoc committee of the Parliament of South Africa last month, where lawmakers questioned him about claims that he had acted as a political fixer and about alleged connections to political and law enforcement figures.
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Sivenathi Gunya, spokesperson for the NPA in the North West Province, confirmed the authority had asked police to submit the dockets but said the NPA would not comment further until it had reviewed the files. Provincial police spokesperson Adéle Myburgh confirmed that the South African Police Service (SAPS) had complied with the request and submitted more than 10 dockets connected to Mogotsi.
During his testimony before the committee, Mogotsi acknowledged that several criminal charges had been brought against him in the past. He told MPs that he had once been arrested and charged with murder following a physical altercation in Mmabatho in 2010. According to Mogotsi, the incident involved a fight in which the other man fell and injured his neck. He said the injured man was taken to a clinic but later died.
Source: Twitter
Case remained on the court roll for several years
Mogotsi said he had been formally charged with murder and that the case was enrolled in court while he was out on bail. He said he pleaded not guilty and claimed the prosecution later withdrew the case because there were no witnesses available to testify. Members of the committee challenged his account. Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), questioned how Mogotsi could argue there was no prima facie case if he had already been charged and had entered a plea of not guilty. Mogotsi said his legal team intended to apply to have the charge reduced to culpable homicide, but the matter was withdrawn before the trial began.
Police records show the murder case was reported on 16 December 2011. According to Myburgh, the victim, 35-year-old Buthi Jan Mothusi, was allegedly assaulted by Mogotsi, who was 32 at the time. Mogotsi appeared in court three days later, on 19 December 2011. The case remained on the court roll for several years before the NPA withdrew it. Myburgh said further details about the individual cases would have to be obtained from the relevant police stations and noted that the South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot comment on the reasons why prosecutors decide to withdraw a case.
Justice Madlanga calls Mogotsi’s medical certificate useless
Briefly News also reported that Brown Mogotsi appeared briefly before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to discuss his recent failure to testify.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga commented on the North West businessman's medical certificate that he produced to the commission.
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Source: Briefly News
