Central SA
Mettler to launch an appeal─── LUCKY NKUYANE 09:47 Sun, 14 Mar 2021
Former Free State Premier Ace Magashule’s driver, Ricardo Mettler, who was convicted of stealing an R8 million Pierneef painting, will this week launch a bid for leave to appeal his sentence and conviction by the High Court in Bloemfontein.
Mettler was sentenced to an effective 15-year prison sentence by High Court Judge, Soma Naidoo.
Mettler's new legal counsel, Advocate Hannes Peyper, previously told OFM News that he had received instructions from the latter to launch a court bid against his sentencing.
He said they only had 14 days to file an appeal, and they are looking at doing so around this week.
Mettler was found guilty in 2020 on counts of theft, fraud, money laundering and perjury.
Judge Naidoo handed down a 15-year prison sentence for theft, 15 years for money laundering, 15 years for fraud and 12 months for perjury. Counts two and four are set to run concurrently.
It's been said that Mettler stole the painting with the intention of selling it to a Bloemfontein businessman - Wei-Lin Hsu - or use it as a guarantee for a loan of more than R2 million.
Following Hsu's testimony in court, he was exempted from prosecution.
OFM News
