#JusticeForLee: Update: Case postponed yet again
Mashinini appointed private legal representation
The relief felt by the family of three-year-old Liyaqat ‘Lee’ Mentoor at the denial of bail for the accused was short-lived, as the court proceedings took yet another surprising turn yesterday, 4 June.
Onke Hartin Mashinini appeared in court again after his application for bail was denied on 30 May. Everyone was expecting that he would be informed of his trial date, but Mashinini informed the court that he had dismissed his State-appointed legal representative, and acquired the services of a private law firm instead.
Mashinini stands accused of child neglect, kidnapping, defeating the ends of justice and premeditated murder after Lee went missing while in his care. Lee has been missing for almost three months, and the family has still not received any answers from Mashinini.
Read more here: #HelpFindLee: WATCH: Family’s heartbroken plea for Lee’s Safe return
The accused’s new legal team informed the court that they had received instructions from the Mashinini family to lodge an appeal against the result of the bail application. They asked for the case to be postponed in order for them to acquire the transcripts of the previous hearing.
The case was postponed to 27 June, with Mashinini remaining in custody.
Family members and supporters gathered outside the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court after the postponement, and voiced their dissatisfaction by chanting phrases like “No bail for Onke!”, “Bring back the death penalty!” and “No bail for child murderers!”.
https://www.facebook.com/roodepoortrecord/videos/1916720461723602/
This attracted the attention of many passersby, including one of Mashinini’s old classmates, who was at court to support his sister who had been a victim of abuse at the hands of her husband.
He expressed his shock at finding out that Mashinini was not the person he knew, and could do something like this, and said, “He needs to tell the family where their baby is, so they can get closure. We need to stop looking the other way and allowing these things to happen. Today, I am standing up for the voiceless by adding my own.”
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