JOHANNESBURG, July 5 (ANA) – The terror case against twins Brandon-lee and Tony-lee Thulsie was on Wednesday again postponed in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court – this time because the defence needs digital records of the entire matter.
It has been a year since the twins were arrested on suspicion of plotting terror attacks in South Africa.
The twins, who have been behind bars since their arrest in July 2016, have been charged with conspiracy and incitement to commit the crime of terrorism and conspiring and attempting to commit acts associated with terrorist activities.
Prosecutor Adele Barnard told the court on Wednesday that 212 pages of statements previously requested by the defence had been handed to them. However, Barnard said “this morning” she received an email from the defence notifying her that they could not open the digital copies.
The state said it was willing to print the said documents, but it would require finance.
Advocate Anneline Van Den Heever, for the defence, said “special” software was needed to download certain parts of the document and that the state had to apply for finance to get hard copies printed as soon as possible as the documents would be needed when the case goes to trial.
A 13-page indictment of the matter suggests that the twins were attempting to join ISIL and that the terrorist activities would have been perpetrated by using firearms, explosives and possibly poisons. The attacks would have been directed at various embassies of countries including the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States based in Pretoria.
Cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro also known as Zapiro and Jewish South African Investment Manager Roy Topol as well as King David High School Linksfield were also listed in the indictment as targets
It’s alleged that in August 2015 one of the twins, Tony-Lee, participated in a series of chats with Abu Fidaa (an ISIL/ISIS network) and others, where he was instructed to attack the best targets involving “US/Brit/French interest in South Africa ” as well as to kill Zapiro.
The matter was postponed to 11 July.
– African News Agency (ANA)
