Pic: Siyabonga Sesant
There was some hushed laughter in the Gqeberha magistrates court on Friday where the protracted bail application of murder accused Arnold Terblanche is underway.
Defence attorney Peter Daubermann battled to convince the court why Terblanche parted with more than R500,000 – while behind bars at St Albans Prison – saying that his client is a victim of extortion.
Terblanche paid the money in several portions ranging from R20,000 to R200,000 to a Mr A, whose name is known to Algoa FM News, who he thought would secure his release on bail.
Terblanche has been in custody for a close on a year after being accused of the murder of his estranged wife Vicki on 18 October 2021.
“Perhaps he was gullible,” Daubermann said when quizzed by magistrate Kriben Pillay as to why Terblanche was not suspicious when Mr A started asking him for money for personal car repairs, and later money to buy a brand new vehicle worth R219,000.
Daubermann maintained his client had no intention of interfering with the administration of justice.
“He’s a lay person and could not have known what he was doing was wrong,” Daubermann said.
“Should the car payments not have raised red flags?” Magistrate Pillay asked.
“Why?” insisted Daubermann. “He was eager to co-operate.”
In fact, Daubermann claimed, it’s Terblanche who’s the victim, as he was “conned” out of a half a million Rand.
Terblanche kept a record of all payments made to Mr A, that Daubermann argued were “in the form of loans, not bribes.”
In his responding affidavit, Terblanche admitted to have paid the money to a Mr A.
In return, Mr A made several promises to Terblanche, including that he’d interview Magistrate Pillay, the presiding officer in Terblanche’s bail application.
The promises were never realised.
Magistrate Pillay was never approached or paid.
After Daubermann wrapped up his legal argument the matter was stood down to Thursday when the State will argue why Terblanche should not be granted bail.
