Cape Town – Advocate Malesela Teffo, has reportedly challenged President Cyril Ramaphosa to contact him if he wants to understand the alleged interference by the Presidency in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial.
This came after the Presidency issued a statement, refuting Teffo’s claims of harassment from the Presidency.
Without any evidence, Teffo, who represented four of the five men accused of killing the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper in 2014, reportedly told judge Tshifhiwa Maumela earlier this week that he was withdrawing from the case as counsel, saying a plan to harass him was hatched from the President’s Office, News24 reported.
“I will no longer be able to proceed in this court, based on the harassment that I am receiving from the State and from the court,” the report quoted Teffo as saying.
But on On Wednesday, the presidency denied Teffo’s allegations, calling them “unsubstantiated and baseless”.
“The Presidency has noted and strongly refutes the false claims by Advocate Malesela Teffo that the Presidency is behind his alleged intimidation and subsequent decision to withdraw from the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial,” the Presidency said in a statement.
ALSO READ | Senzo Meyiwa trial: Cyril Ramaphosa rubbishes Teffo’s ‘baseless’ claims
Following the Presidency’s denial of his allegations, Teffo reportedly suggested that the Ramaphosa should speak to him to understand the bases of his allegations, reported IOL.
“I think the president has to talk to me because I am the one who is alleging. It is me who alleged, and I expect the president as the president of the country, myself being the subject of the Constitution and him being the guardian of the Constitution. The president has a duty to protect me and to protect my clients.
“What I have said, it’s the allegations. The allegations come from what is happening and what happened on the 28th of April. The president (Ramaphosa) is directly or indirectly involved. That will require further investigation,” the report quoted Teffo as saying.
The report said that Teffo refused to divulge any further information on the matter, saying that the president should contact him directly for more information.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
