Adam Catzavelos corruption

Adam Catzavelos hides his face as he leaves the Randburg Magistrate Court after his case of crimen injuria was postponed to next month to allow him to appoint his own attorney on Tuesday, 28 May 2019 – Photo: Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe

Adam Catzavelos: Magistrate leaves case due to “connections” with the defence

Another day, another delay in the Adam Catzavelos case. The court has been held up once more on Monday, as the defendant faces an uncertain wait.

Adam Catzavelos corruption

Adam Catzavelos hides his face as he leaves the Randburg Magistrate Court after his case of crimen injuria was postponed to next month to allow him to appoint his own attorney on Tuesday, 28 May 2019 – Photo: Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe

There has been yet another postponement in the bid to prosecute Adam Catzavelos, as the man who shot to infamy following a racist outburst on camera is forced to wait another four weeks for an outcome from the Equality Court.

This particular case is running parallel to the one heard in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. That has also been pushed back to the end of the month, as lawmakers review a 68-page submission from the Greek authorities. The SA Human Rights Commission have filed their own discrimination and hate speech claim against Catzavelos.

Why the Adam Catzavelos case has been delayed

However, they seem to have encountered the same technical difficulties. It was revealed to the gallery that the magistrate set to preside over the SAHRC’s admission was “too conflicted” to carry on, and had to immediately recuse himself.

This was due to the fact that the magistrate used to work for the lawyer who’s representing Adam Catzavelos now. With the case unable to continue and no other judge available for duty, the case has been pushed back to Thursday 29 August – the same day his other charges returns to court.

What next for Adam Catzavelos?

The future of Adam Catzavelos and this case hinges heavily on which country can prosecute him. He’s a South African citizen but filmed his infamous K-word tirade on a Greek beach. In Mzansi, using racist language comes with a much more serious punishment, as we’ve seen with Vicki Momberg.

The court is still deliberating who has jurisdiction, and although his language caused a bigger stir in SA, the Greek authorities have filed their own charges against the beach-bound ranter.

Possible punishments

Adam Catzavelos returned to South Africa in June, to much public surprise. He recorded his offensive utterance 12 months ago, and had been living out in Greece with family. In the meantime, his business ventures suffered and the defendant became public enemy number one in the country, with his video dominating news headlines for weeks.

Although it doesn’t look like he will be slapped with a jail sentence, Catzavelos can expect to pay a hefty fine for his actions. His immediate apology and apparent show of remorse is set to work in his favour.