John Block on the witness stand on 9 November. Former Northern Cape ANC leader and MEC John Block is back in court to solution to a R2.5 million disparagement suit.He apparently maligned previous Northern Cape Judge President Frans Kgomo throughout his corruption trial in 2015/16. Block is serving a 15-year sentence for corruption associating with inflated rental contacts for federal government workplaces. Former Northern Cape ANC leader and MEC John Block rejected character assassination accusations in interrogation on 9 November in the civil case in which he is being demanded damages worth R2.5 million. Block, who was surrounded by armed jail guards, was previously brought from Upington Prison to the Northern Cape High Court in Kimberley. He is serving a 15-year jail sentence for corruption connecting to inflated rental contacts for federal government workplaces. Block and 2 lawyers, who are each being demanded the exact same quantity, stopped working in their application for absolution. They argued that there was inadequate proof of their libeling previous Northern Cape Judge President Frans Kgomo. Kgomo’s legal group showed that it would take additional actions since of “defamatory submissions” in the heads of argument for the absolution application. The libel declares come from Block’s criminal trial in 2015 and 2016. Nano Matlala, a lawyer, supposedly informed Block’s legal agent, the late Abel (Dali) Mjila, that an unknown judge in Kgomo’s existence heard how Judge Violet Phatsoane, the administering officer in Block’s corruption trial, informed Kgomo in a telephone discussion she had no premises to found guilty Block, to which Kgomo supposedly responded: “Convict the bastard.” CHECKED OUT|John Block taken legal action against by previous judge president Block affirmed that he did not understand Matlala. Mjila, whom he had actually understood for several years, shared the claims with him and later on discussed it with a senior legal representative too. Block’s legal group then unsuccessfully prompted Phatsoane in chambers to recuse herself and hold off the trial. Block then made the accusations versus Kgomo and Phatsoane in an affidavit as part of an unique entry in open court. Phatsoane dismissed the claims as false. His grievance versus Phatsoane was turned down by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) due to an absence of proof, which Block states he accepted. “Then, out of the blue in 2019, I got the summons from Judge Kgomo. I did not disparage anybody, I merely desired a reasonable trial and justice by counting on my legal group’s recommendations,” he affirmed. Supporter Sean Rosenberg SC, on behalf of Kgomo, put it to Block in interrogation that somebody comprised the story, as Kgomo and Phatsoane reject the claims. Does Matlala. Former Northern Cape judge president Frans Kgomo. “Who had the best intention to comprise the story?” Rosenberg asked. Block responded: I didn’t comprise any stories. Block sent that he desired the claims to be examined which attorneys have a commitment to report supposed abnormalities. He does not understand why Mjila did not send an affidavit for the unique entry and grievance to the JSC to corroborate his accusations. Rosenberg put it to Block that he sent in his declaration that the accusations might be real since he discusses the celebration and duration in which the supposed telephone discussion happened. Rosenberg discovered it not likely that Block would not take actions to discover who the unknown judge was. Block and his legal group likewise did not make a 2nd unique entry with supporting declarations in his application to the Supreme Court of Appeal. This was unusual, Rosenberg stated, thinking about that Block, in his earlier demand that the judge recuse herself, currently believed she was prejudiced. “This while these explosive accusations might have assisted you in your appeal in what you referred to as the defend your life …” Block reacted that he had actually made peace with the stopped working JSC examination and rather concentrated on his appeal application. After Block got the letter of need from Kgomo in 2019, he once again approached the JSC without proof or supporting declarations to examine the accusations. Mjila verified in his plea at the time that Matlala informed him the claims. Matlala is a highly regarded lawyer and he did not question the details, he stated. In his testament, Matlala concurred with Kgomo that the supposed telephone discussion with Phatsoane never ever happened, nor did his supposed interaction with Mjila. Rosenberg questioned Matlala in interrogation about his counterclaim of R4.5 million, which he has actually because withdrawn. In the counterclaim, Matlala argued that the claims were “reasonable remark”, however he now rejects that he shared the accusations with Mjila. He declined to address concerns about the counterclaim. He likewise declined to align himself with his legal group’s declarations in the heads of argument for the application for absolution, in which some expressions from the counterclaim were duplicated. Imprisoned John Block gave R50k bail in tender scams case At the start of the trial, Kgomo affirmed how his self-respect, track record and stability were tainted by the incorrect accusations. He closed his case without calling additional witnesses. Supporter Lungela Bomela acts for Block on behalf of Luluma Lobi; Sanele Mjila for the Mjila Estate; and Advocate McGregor Kufa is advised by Matshego Ramagaga Inc on behalf of Matlala. Judge Nathan Erasmus held off the matter to 6 February 2024 for arguments.
News24|Block in the dock (once again): Ex-ANC leader John Block rejects disparaging judge throughout corruption trial
