JOHANNESBURG – Alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi has denied staging his own assassination attempt.
The 47-year-old North West businessman appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for his bail application.
He is facing five charges including defeating the ends of justice and perjury. He was arrested on 15 May for allegedly staged his own assassination attempt in November last year.
He intends to plead not guilty.
In a sworn affidavit read out by his legal representative, Mogotsi maintained that on 3 November, while driving in Vosloorus he was followed by a bakkie.
“The car that was following me made a U-turn and I was shot at once. I feared for my life and immediately alighted from the vehicle and fled. I later returned to the scene where I found members of the community and the police had also arrived,” he told the court.
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Mogotsi said he later opened a case of attempted murder.
“I therefore deny the allegations that I staged an assassination attempt. Such an allegation is unfounded, speculative and inconsistent with the facts of what transpired,” he added.
“I further deny the allegations that I obstructed justice, on the contrary, I have at all times complied with the lawful processes. If I had intended to obstruct justice or mislead the authorities, I would not have laid a charge against unknown assailants.”
Pleading to be released on bail, Mogotsi said he was not a flight risk and that he would not interfere with any state witnesses or attempt to temper with evidence.
But the State said Mogotsi’s version of events was false and contradicted by forensic evidence.
In his affidavit, the investigating officer said the businessman’s application was full of inconsistencies. The state said it was still not satisfied with the address supplied by Mogotsi as it had not been able to verify it.
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The investigating officer alleged that Mogotsi tried to bribe him when he visited his cell complex to obtain a statement.
“As I was about to leave the cell, the applicant approached me and made a comment relating to his bail. His words were, ‘Is there something I can do for you not to oppose my bail’. I immediately took offence as it was said to me in a context that I understand to be an attempt to offer a bribe. I told him immediately he must not even think of going that route with me,” the investigating officer said.
The State intends to oppose bail.
The matter has been adjourned until 12:30 for Mogotsi's legal team to submit a supplementary affidavit.