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[FILE IMAGE]: Deputy President Paul Mashatile speaking during the an event.
The defense in the case of eight former members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit wants the viral video depicting them allegedly assaulting civilians to be excluded as evidence in the trial.
The accused have brought a section 174 application in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court to have charges against them withdrawn saying the state has no case against them. They are facing several charges including assault with intent to cause grievous body harm, pointing a firearm and malicious damage to property.
Judgment on the applications has been reserved until next month.
Defense lawyer Mswazi Makhubele argued that the video also tainted the quality of evidence provided by the occupants of the car.
He insists that one of the witnesses could only identify the colour of the clothes worn by one of the accused after seeing the video.
“The garment is a fabricated story on the social media video. That is just but one example of the danger posed by that video and the contamination it would have done to the entirety of the evidence. My submission is that once it goes, every other piece of evidence relating to it also goes,” says Makhubele.
