This is according to each of the accused's legal representatives. This as the state, represented by Derrick Vogel and Justice Bakamela, has requested that the matter be postponed for further investigations. The accused are facing a string of charges, ranging from fraud and theft to corruption and money laundering. Bakamela says the state is not ready for trial at this stage and request a postponement so that they are able to finalise their investigation. 

Bakamela adds they are in possession of 300 bank statements that the NPA's Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) did not have. According to him, this is proof that investigations into the matter are indeed ongoing. The state has requested a postponement of three to five months.

The accused on the other hand have maintained they have suffered immensely from the case. Peter Thabethe's legal representative says his contract with the Free State Department of Agriculture expired this year and was not renewed as a result of the case. He says Thabethe has been unemployed since his contract ended and has been unable to find employment since. Bakamela argues that the state is not to blame for the Department not renewing Thabethe's contract.

The accused says it is not in the interest of justice for the matter to be postponed, seeing as the case is "very prejudicial" referring to the arrests made without sufficient evidence at hand.

Magistrate Collin Nekosi says he needs time to go through all the documents presented here today.

This after Michael Hellens argued the NPA's AFU has not brought an application on new evidence (since the application for a provisional restraint order in March), because they do not have any new evidence.

The matter was adjourned until Tuesday, August 21, after Nekosi requested time to make a decision on the state's application to have the matter postponed for further investigations. 

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