- Disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo has claimed that the authorities are colluding against him.
- He appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, provisionally charged with two counts of assault and trespassing.
- He claimed the court failed to provide him with the criminal charges he faced.
Disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo and Magistrate Theunis Carstens exchanged words in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, which was sparked by Teffo wanting to know what he was being charged with.
Appearing puzzled, Teffo, who was carrying a bundle of papers, told Carstens he didn't know what charges he was facing.
Carstens asked if he wanted to have a pretrial conference that would determine the charges.
"I have received the disclosure (contents of the docket). (During) my last appearance, I was advised that the prosecutor would give me the outstanding document. He has done so.
"I've spoken to the acting chief prosecutor, who said there would be a lengthy postponement. Today, I have some documents with me. I haven't perused them all. I have in my possession the alleged outstanding statement," said Teffo.
"I went through it. I have lawyers representing me. But for today, I'm representing myself. I don't know the charges (I'm facing). I need to be advised about the charges I face.
"In the disclosure, I saw numerous cases (dating back) seven years... Those cases form part of the disclosure. I guess the charges against me (were never pronounced earlier)," added Teffo.
He said he had several requests for the State.
"You will get the charges once the pretrial conference starts. Do you want to have a pretrial?" Carstens asked.
"The pending charges against me will be made once I appear before the LPC (Legal Practice Council) in Pretoria," Teffo said.
Carstens then said: "I'm not interested in that. I am dealing with this (the current) matter. Would you like to have a pretrial conference, Mr Teffo? How much time do you need to draft your representation? Who is your lawyer?"
Teffo provided the name of his lawyer to the magistrate. "Can the court confirm if I will get charges today? If not, I won't be able to have a better consultation. I will do a consultation on what?" Teffo asked.
"You will do that based on the content you have received," Carstens replied.
Media interview
Addressing the media outside courtroom 11, Teffo said it was unusual to appear in court without knowing the charges.
"I am expected to [make] representations. You must only do representations based on the charges you are charged with. I was given an outstanding document without charges [being] put forward," he said.
He claimed that the police, judges, magistrates, the prosecution, and the LPC were colluding against him.
Teffo was provisionally charged with two counts of assault and trespassing.
He is no longer practising as an advocate after the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria disbarred him and ordered him to surrender and deliver his certificate of enrolment as a legal practitioner to the court's registrar.
Teffo was dealt a heavy blow after the LPC took him to court.
News24 earlier reported that the court had ruled that Teffo lacked a sense of responsibility, honesty, and integrity, and no longer met the threshold of a fit and proper person.
Teffo was previously arrested for allegedly assaulting a female officer and entering a police office in Gauteng in contravention of a High Court interdict prohibiting him from entering the building.
He is expected back in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on 3 November.