The trial of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Prophetess Mary Bushiri, on fraud and money laundering charges has been pushed to next year July.
The case has also been transferred from Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court to the Pretoria High Court for trial.
Major 1, as Bushiri is fondly called, briefly appeared in Court on Friday where the ruling to transfer the case was made. Bushiri was accompanied by alleged partner-in-crime and wife, Prophetess Mary Bushiri.
The couple’s case has been postponed to 27 July 2020 for trial.
The couple was nabbed in a dramatic arrest on the 1st of February on charges of fraud, money laundering and contravening the provision of organized crimes act, formally known as the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
After spending 5 nights in custody, the controversial couple was granted bail on 6th February with a bond of R100,000 each.
As part of their bail conditions, the couple’s travelling documents were also seized. The two suspects are mandated to seek prior permission before leaving Gauteng, South Africa. Since their arrest, the couple is yet to travel outside South Africa.
It is alleged the couple had committed the crimes from 2015.
Writing on Facebook this morning after the court hearing, Bushiri thanked his followers who thronged the court premises in solidarity.
1. One cardinal, sacrosanct and inviolable constitutional principle is that the accused person is INNOCENT until and unless the contrary is established BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT.
2. The onus (burden) of proving the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt, in the ultimate analysis, rests squarely upon the Prosecution (the State).
3. This critical tenet is even enshrined, and well articulated, in most authoritative international legal instruments, notably the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
4. The irresistible inference, thus, in the eyes of the law, is that H.E Dr Shepherd Bushiri, PhD, and Dr Mary Bushiri, are currently ABSOLUTELY INNOCENT of all the allegations in the charges before the law courts.
The sacrosanct cardinal constitutional principle, enshrined even in the international legal instruments, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is that an accused person is innocent until the contrary is established beyond reasonable doubt. The irresistible inference in the eyes of the law is that H.E Dr Shepherd Bushiri, PhD, and Dr Nary Bushiri are currently innocent of all the charges before the law courts.
The sacrosanct cardinal constitutional principle, enshrined even in the international legal instruments, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is that an accused person is innocent until the contrary is established beyond reasonable doubt. The irresistible inference in the eyes of the law is that H.E Dr Shepherd Bushiri, PhD, is currently innocent of all the charges before the law courts.