Alleged perlemoen poaching kingpin Julian Brown and his co-accused will have to wait almost two months to learn their fate after the judge presiding over their case indicated that he was not ready to deliver judgment on Tuesday.
Brown, 32, along with Eugene “Bosman” Victor, 33, and Brandon Turner, 38, faces a string of charges, including perlemoen poaching, racketeering and money laundering.
All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In July, Brown took to the stand to testify in his defence and vehemently denied any involvement in the alleged poaching ring.
Brown claimed that a police officer investigating the matter had a personal vendetta against him and that he was a victim of a smear campaign.
Brown was arrested in 2016 and released on R800,000 bail.
Both his co-accused were also granted bail, but Victor was detained again after violating his bail conditions.
In Brown’s plea, he admitted to knowing Victor for more than a decade, but denied knowing Turner.
Brown admitted to knowing Victor was involved in perlemoen poaching, claiming that he tried to steer Victor away from this.
Neither Victor nor Turner testified during the trial.
Port Elizabeth High Court judge Mandela Makaula was to deliver judgment in the matter on Tuesday, but as court proceedings started he told legal counsel for the three accused that he was not yet ready to hand down his judgment.
“I thought that I would be done [with the judgment] but due to a heavy workload I haven’t,” Makaula said.
Judgment is expected to be delivered on November 15.