'Assassination' suspect back in court
A man accused of planning to assassinate 19 prominent South Africans is set to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court this morning.
Elvis Ramosebudi briefly appeared in court on Friday after his arrest earlier in the week, but the matter was postponed for further investigation and to allow Ramosebudi to apply for legal aid.
The Hawks allege that the 33-year-old tried to solicit funding - amounting to around R140 million - as part of a plot to kill politicians and business people.
During Friday's court appearance Ramosebudi's mental state was brought into question with the State indicating it wants to have him evaluated. The state told the court it doesn't believe it is normal for someone to use their real name and bank account details when trying to get funding for a crime like this.
Ramosebudi was also unable to recall if he had previously been mentally evaluated.
The National Prosecuting Authority defended the decision to go ahead with the charges, despite not knowing if Ramosebudi was mentally fit to stand trial.
Government earlier confirmed that Cabinet members who feel unsafe as a result of the list, would be granted added security if needed.