A MITCHELLS Plain ou was released on bail by mistake, due to a clerical error.
Ziyaad Goolmnabie and his co-accused Brent Congo and Allan Turner appeared in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court last week facing charges of being in the possession of an unlawful firearm and ammunition.
The court was expected to deal with Goolmnabie’s bail information, but instead learned that the accused had already been released on bail of R2 000.
The magistrate, though, gave Goolmnabie nog ’n kans to apply for bail.
The magistrate said: “The court was informed by the State that the accused has been erroneously released on bail and that release is based on the J7 that was signed by the clerk.
“And according to the court, that was an error to have a clerk complete such a J7 for the court to sign without looking or take note of the name of the person that she released on bail.
“The court orders that the bail that the accused has paid is cancelled and is to be paid to the depositor and we can proceed with the application that the defence is proceeding with on the basis that for now that bail is no longer in place and that R2 000 is to be paid back to the person who paid in.
“Upon the depositor getting that money, depending on what the court finding will be, we would use the same money.”