Monday, September 17, 2007

Complaints of Courtroom Bugging

South Africa - Defence Counsel in the Boeremag treason trial on Monday complained bitterly that someone seemed to be listening in on their conversations during private consultations inside the courtroom.

One of the defence advocates, Bernard Bantjes, said he had recently found out that private consultations when the court was not sitting were allegedly being recorded, sent to a central computer and then erased once a week.

This was apparently despite recording equipment being switched off when the trial was not in sitting, he said.

Other defence advocates said they had also received complaints before that someone was listening in on their conversations, but chief prosecutor Paul Fick SC said this was the first time he heard of the allegation, and he was equally upset about it. (more)