Masilo needs hearing aid for trial
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday May 5, 2015 13:50
Masilo’s attorney and defence lawyer, Pako Moakofi, revealed this at the Village Magistrate Court yesterday.
Appearing on behalf of Kgosietsile Ngakaagae, Moakofi told the court that his client had been using a hearing aid that is now damaged.
“It would take three months to repair the hearing aid and therefore we ask the court to speed up the process,” he said. Moakofi asked for a court order that would request Princess Marina Hospital to make a special arrangement, which would see Masilo get a new aid before his trial date.
Moakofi said they ask for the process to be shortened so that Masilo attends and hears the proceedings on the said date.
“We need to be absolutely certain that he’s able to hear and the court has to find a way to do that,” he said.
In response, Chief Magistrate Goodwill Makofi said the matter was a health issue, which doctors and nurses should know how to best deal with.
“It’s a subordinate court therefore we don’t have a jurisdiction on this matter,” Makofi said.
He suggested that the two parties being the prosecution and the defence, sit and address the issue at length.
Moakofi further advised the court that his client’s hearing defect was going to be an issue during trial therefore he would not be able to get the full breadth of what would be said during trial.
“My client is the custodian of the prison services and the current situation is that they have no authority to speed up Masilo’s medication process. He has to wait in line for three months,” Moakofi said.
For her part, the prosecutor on the case, Christinah Ramokwena told the court that they would address Masilo’s medical attention with his lawyer.
Ramokwena who missed the previous two mentions said she was ready to address any pending issue from the defence.
In the last mention Ngakaagae told the court that Masilo had withdrawn the complaints, which alleged that the police did not allow him to cover his face to impede photojournalists. He said the police had amended their error and corrected their ways.
The two parties will appear before court again on June 3 to give an update on Masilo’s medical progress.
The trial dates are still set for July 27 and 28.