Witnesses too scared to testify in lawyer’s abalone case

Two key witnesses in the case against city lawyer Anthony Broadway – who faces 51 charges including money laundering, racketeering and storing of abalone without a permit – said they were too scared to testify because their lives and those of family members were in danger. A Cape Argus report says both Michael Norman and David Bannister were supposed to testify for the state against Broadway yesterday in the Western Cape High Court. The prosecutor told Judge Siraj Desai the matter would not be able to proceed because of the two key witnesses’ unwillingness to testify. Norman said: ‘Your honour, I cannot testify because I have been threatened. I don’t know the person who made the threats, but he mentioned the names of my family.’ Desai told Norman his refusal to testify could result in two years imprisonment and advised him to return tomorrow, along with his lawyer, to put it before the court that his refusal had a just excuse. Bannister said: ‘My family, and more particularly my daughter, have been threatened. Life is worth more for me than death. My previous two lawyers, Noorudien Hassan and Pete Mihalik, have been both been killed and I don’t have a lawyer presently.’ Desai ordered Bannister to get another lawyer and along with Norman be back in court tomorrow.

Full Cape Argus report (subscription needed)