Roshen found not guilty
Defence attorneys proved that evidence supplied by the state was not
just unreliable, but in most cases totally false
Rod Skinner | 10 December 2013
Roshen Sewpersad, along with five co-accused, has
been found not guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
40-year-old Ladysmith businessman Roshen Sewpersad
appeared yesterday (December 9) in the High Court, along with his wife Nersha
and father Armmarchand, as well as co-accused (and former employees of the
Department of Land Affairs) Promise Phumzile Makhanya, Bhekumuzi Patrick Masoka
and Sibusiso Chapi – all on trial for alleged fraud relating to land claims.
According to Roshen, the state’s entire case was
based on fabricated evidence. Defence attorneys proved that evidence supplied
by the state was not just unreliable, but in most cases totally false.
All charges against the six accused were
provisionally withdrawn.
The case against the accused was as follows:
According to the authorities, Roshen, Promise,
Patrick and Chapi were charged with fraud and corruption in February last year
after an intense investigation by the Hawks and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Promise,
Patrick and Chapi were all employees of the Rural Development & Land
Affairs Department. The case against the accused was highlighted on the M-Net
investigative journalism show Carte Blanche.
In 2010, the Asset Forfeiture Unit put Roshen’s six
farms under curatorship following allegations that he had colluded with his
co-accused to gain the farms fraudulently. Roshen was under investigation for
his alleged involvement in fraudulently acquiring the six farms.
Roshen has promised the Ladysmith Gazette an
exclusive interview which will be published in next week’s newspaper.
He expressed his delight at finally being found “not
guilty.” He stressed that it had been a tremendous ordeal for him and his
entire family.
He was grateful to the court for ruling in his
favour.
Promise Makhanya expressed her delight as well and
expects to be reinstated by the department. “They (Hawks) arrested us without
even interviewing us or asking us if we knew anything,” she said.
