PPU
The son of late human rights lawyer Advocate George Bizos was convicted of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The Johannesburg Magistrates Court found Alexi Bizos guilty of assaulting his wife Monique van Oosterhout more than nine years ago in their home in Johannesburg.
Van Oosterhout, who approached Afriforum's Private Prosecution Unit (PPU) when the NPA failed to prosecute, broke six of her ribs during the attack.
Spokesperson for the Unit Barry Bateman says Bizos will be back in court on the 23rd of August to determine a date for sentencing
"AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit will continue its fight to ensure nobody is above the law.
"This conviction exposes the NPA's selective prosecution and vindicates our belief that the decision not to prosecute Bizos was because of his relationship to the well-known George Bizos.
"The magistrate found that the accused was a poor witness and evasive and that his testimony was littered with inconsistencies, the court also rejected his claim that he was in fact the victim and was acting in self-defence. On the other hand, the court found Van Oosterhout to be a good witness who painted a logical and clear picture of what happened."
The NPA initially declined to prosecute him, but after AfriForum's announcement in 2018 that the PPU had applied for a nolle prosequi certificate to prosecute Bizos, the NPA made an about-turn.
Bizos was then invited to make representations to the NPA before the prosecution was instituted but upon receipt of his reply, the NPA yet again decided not to prosecute.
This prompted Van Oosterhout, with the unit's support, to apply for a certificate to privately prosecute Bizos.
The matter has been postponed to 23 August to determine a date for sentencing.
