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Court proceedings in Asbestos case.
The asbestos roof removal saga resumes tomorrow with a trial within a trial to test the court’s jurisdiction to try Moroadi Cholota who is accused 17 in the matter.
Trial Judge Phillip Loubser granted Cholota, who is the former personal assistant of the then Free State Premier Ace Magashule, an opportunity to ventilate her claims that her extradition was unlawful.
Cholota is adamant that the state mislead US authorities that she was a fugitive and a flight risk with links in Kenya and was part of a criminal syndicate.
Cholota’s legal representative Advocate Loyiso Makapela says the charges against the accused were simply followed through because of the threat investigators had made against her, claiming that she will be charged if she did not cooperate with them.
“The state does not deny the threats or that they were made. They simply allege the threats were fair warning. The evidence will show that there was never a reasonable and probable cause for the charges and that us authorities were lied to or misrepresented to,” says Makapela.
Video | Free State asbestos roof removal trial-within-a trial resumes tomorrow
Furthermore, the prosecution in the case has told the Free State High Court that it will prove that Cholota is not credible as presented by her legal representative.
State advocate Johan De Nysschen says claims that she was tortured in the US are far from the truth because she was instead wrapped in cotton.
De Nysschen has argued that there is no basis that her extradition was unlawful.
“With all due respect she said nothing worth anything. She took the detectives on a play game with them, counter questions like what the relevance of this and is that.”
The state was caught by surprise that Moroadi Cholota’s defense wants a trial within a trial.
State prosecutor requested a postponement to prepare written submissions to reply to Cholota’s application. #sabcnews #AsbestosTrial pic.twitter.com/0X0ACfyZcq— Masiteng Makgala (@masitengmakgala) April 24, 2025
