Madlanga Commission could seek arrest warrant for Brown Mogotsi after no show
· Citizen
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has suffered another delay after an anticipated witness called in sick.
Brown Mogotsi was scheduled to appear on Monday morning, but at the last minute, informed the commission that he was ill.
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Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels told the media on Monday morning that they would seek an arrest warrant if necessary, as no medical certificate had been produced.
Michaels warned that medical practitioners could also face consequences if found to be issuing false medical certificates.
“We are not going to tolerate a situation where witnesses willy nilly decide that they are sick on the morning of the hearing,” said Michaels.
Mogotsi in contempt
Commissioners consider Mogotsi to be in contempt and have given him until Wednesday to produce a medical certificate before it decides on a way forward.
“The commission does have the option of applying for a warrant of arrest for Mr Mogotsi, if that is necessary,” explained Michaels.
Michaels said the commission was taking the delay seriously as it was the third such incident, including the claimed illnesses Witness F and an officer from crime intelligence.
Aiming to halt the pattern, the commission stated that stricter scrutiny will be given to supposed sick notes.
“The are several options available to the commission, including the subpoena of medical practitioners who produce illegible – as was the case last week – medical certificates,” said Micheals.
Deadline approaching
The spokesperson confirmed that 17 March was the mandated deadline for witness testimony.
“That, needless to say, has an impact in terms of the commission’s schedule. We have a very carefully planned schedule and when we lose days like this, that does create issues in terms of our planning
“There is no doubt that there is going to have to be an adjustment to the commission’s terms of reference and in terms of our deadline for the final report,”
However, Michales clarified that work would not stall, as there were other discussions between the legal representatives and administrative tasks ongoing behind closed doors.
“We will use the time that is now available to us to deal with a number of pressing matters, but without a doubt, it is a day lost to witness testimony.
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