The Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Tuesday ordered the detention of Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown for seven days, following his arrest last Friday on charges of fraud, theft and money-laundering involving the company Antheru.

The order was made despite objections by defence attorney William Booth, who wanted the proceedings "rolled" to Wednesday, when he hoped to place Brown in the witness stand to testify.

Scorpions' senior counsel Bruce Morrison has also notified the court of his intention to launch an application to altogether revoke Brown's bail on fraud, theft and money-laundering charges, involving the three companies Fidentia, Infinity and Fundi Projects, as well as the Transport, Education and Training Authority (Teta).

Although judgment in the Scorpions' application for a seven-day remand had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, Booth on Tuesday asked magistrate Vusi Mhlanga to delay his judgment instead, so that Booth could place Brown in the witness stand.

Judgment was about to be given

Asked why Brown's testimony was necessary when judgment was about to be given, Booth said Brown's evidence would be about the alleged irregular warrant with which Brown had been arrested.

Booth said this involved a constitutional issue, and that Brown's testimony would influence the court's decision whether to allow or refuse the seven-day remand.

Booth said he had planned Brown's testimony for Tuesday, but Brown had been attacked by prisoners in a vehicle on the way back to Pollsmoor on Monday, and his injuries required urgent medical attention.

For this reason, he wished to lead Brown's evidence on Wednesday, Booth said.

Mhlanga granted the seven-day remand, and said he said he was not prepared to spend all day with constitutional issues.

Scorpions followed the law

He added: "We are not getting anywhere the way things are going, and the court will just have to carry out its responsibility."

He said to roll the case to Wednesday would only prolong the proceedings.

He said he had no doubt that the Scorpions had followed the law in obtaining the arrest warrant, and that it was in the interests of justice to allow them the requested seven-day remand in order to gather information to oppose any bail application that may be launched.

Brown was remanded to 19 May.

Sapa