JOHANNESBURG - Former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya could face tougher scrutiny if he appeals his bail judgment.
This is according to a gender activist, Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, after Sibiya's legal team indicated their intention to appeal the ruling.
Madumise-Pajibo said while Sibiya has got the right to explore every avenue available to him in terms of the law, she does not believe the outcome will be any different.
"The facts don't change and if he's going to the higher court, that standard of scrutiny is high and is going to be applying their mind thoroughly. And I don't think they will come to a different conclusion as reached by the magistrate. This case is serious," she explained.
The 59-year-old former police official appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he was denied bail.
He faces charges of sexual grooming, human trafficking and the reckless handling of a firearm.
He is accused of raping an 18-year-old woman and sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl.
According to the allegations, Sibiya gave the 18-year-old woman alcohol before she lost consciousness and was raped at a hotel in Sandton.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it is prepared to defend the court’s decision to deny Sibiya bail if he challenges the ruling.