Magistrate complains about trial length

Cape Town - The R1.8 million fraud case against tax consultant Linda Addison-Adams, who duped, among others, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille, is the longest case a Wynberg magistrate has had to preside over in his 25 years on the bench.

Wynberg Regional Court magistrate Jackie Redelinghuys said on Thursday the six-year-old case had been dragging on for too long and urged that it be finalised.

The investigation began in 2005 and when the matter was ready for trial in 2007, the State called more than 40 witnesses in support of its case.

Initially, Addison-Adams claimed she had taken the money for fees owed to her and had not issued invoices to her clients, but halfway through her cross-examination she decided to admit guilt.

In June, Redelinghuys convicted Addison-Adams of 72 counts of fraud, 13 counts of theft and eight counts for failing to submit income tax returns.

“This is by far the oldest trial that has been before me since I’ve been on the bench and I’ve been on the bench for 25 years. It’s high time the case is finalised,” Redelinghuys said.

He was responding to Addison-Adams’s lawyer John Vrieslaar’s request that the case be postponed because the correctional officer’s report was incomplete.

Vrieslaar said Addison-Adams’s landlord was reluctant to sign a document confirming her residence because there was a section that stated that he must “care or provide for” her.

Prosecutor Freek Geyser added that the document also said that the landlord must “provide shelter, food and comply with any court order”.

Vrieslaar said that the section of the document could be amended to avoid the landlord being liable.

“It’s in the interest of justice that the report be completed (to provide the court with) sentencing options,” Vrieslaar said.

Redelinghuys said that a signature of a landlord could not delay this case any further, before granting a final postponement for sentencing.

Thursday was the second time the matter had been set down for closing arguments and sentencing.

Last month, Addison-Adams, 54, of Noordhoek, apologised to De Lille for defrauding her of R105 000 but De Lille said her apology was too late. De Lille testified that Addison-Adams had been her tax consultant for 11 years.

Addison-Adams was warned to return to court on January 24.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

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