Bid to dismiss Brown’s perlemoen charges fails

An application to the Port Elizabeth High Court to have charges against alleged perlemoen kingpin Julian Brown dismissed was refused yesterday.

Brown, 32, and co-accused Eugene “Boesman” Victor and Brandon Turner face a string of perlemoen-poaching-related charges.

Dressed neatly in a black suit, Brown dropped his head after Judge Mandela Makaula refused his application.

“After hearing heads of argument, the application has been refused,” Makaula said.

He said he would explain his reasons for refusing the application when he delivered judgment in the case.

Meanwhile, Victor’s lawyer, Paul Roelofse, told the court the bail conditions for his client needed to be amended after it emerged that Victor was no longer welcome at the residence he had been staying at while under house arrest.

Victor’s bail conditions included house arrest, but he had a fallout with the owner of the property and was living somewhere else.

“When police visited the premises, [Victor] was not there,” Roelofse said.

“There was an agreement with the home owner, but [Victor] failed to inform me or the prosecutor of the change of address.”

Victor’s bail conditions were then changed to an alternative address supplied to the court.

The trial resumes on July 31.