The case against prominent Mpumalanga businessman Joe Sibanyoni and his three co-accused has been struck off the roll in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court.
Sibanyoni, along with Daniel Masilela, Phillimon Msiza and Oupa Sindane, were facing charges of extortion and money laundering.
The matter was removed from the court roll after defence teams raised concerns over the absence of prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba, who had previously been ordered by the magistrate to appear in court on Friday.
Ntaba had informed the court last week that he would be unavailable on Monday due to other court commitments. However, the magistrate had directed both him and the investigating officer to be present.
On Monday, defence attorneys for all four accused expressed frustration over the prosecutor’s failure to appear and subsequently applied for the case to be struck off the roll.
They also requested that Ntaba be declared in contempt of court, arguing that he should face either imprisonment or a fine for non-compliance with the court order.
The magistrate ultimately struck the matter off the roll and indicated that a warrant for Ntaba’s arrest would be issued.