Nchindo lawyers request for damaging reports

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Wednesday March 31, 2010 00:00

The defence team have argued that the Slaughter and May report as well as the De Beers Confidential Report, which have been circulating in the media, have a bearing on the criminal trial of Garvas Nchindo and his co-accused, Joseph Matome.

Yesterday, defence lawyer, Lawrence Khupe, told the court that he believed that through a subpoena the reports would be produced. Senior State counsel, Matlhogonolo Phuthego, however, denied any knowledge of the existence of these reports. He said that the only document he was aware of that had already been availed to the defence team was a risk control report.

Phuthego informed the court that he had adviced the defence to request for the Slaughter and May report from the relevant government department while they could also approach DeBeers and ask for the DeBeers confidential report.

The charges against the accused have been re-formulated after the passing on of Louis Goodwill Nchindo, who was the main accused person in the graft case. Garvas and Matome now face 10 counts from the 36 charges they initially faced before the death of the former Debswana boss, and the withdrawal of charges by the state against Jacob Sesinyi.

Last week the defence lawyers wanted the editors of Sunday Standard and Telegraph newspapers to show cause why they should not be charged for contempt of court for publishing excerpts of the Slaughter and May report. The matter was eventually settled between the two parties with the two newspapers conceding not to publish any matter that would prejudice the outcome of the case. Regional magistrate, Lot Moroka, presided.