The case against the two suspects still on trial for the murder of Ukrainian hiker, Ivan Ivanov, will go straight to argument ahead of judgement with neither man testifying or calling witnesses.
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This comes after Western Cape High Court Judge Chantel Fortuin, on Thursday, rejected their application for their case to be discharged before that point due to a lack of evidence.
The defence would typically begin a rebuttal of the evidence since the State has rested its case.
However, according to News24, both attorneys stated that their clients would not testify or bring witnesses in place of this.
Previously, Sinaye Mposelwa pleaded guilty to the premeditated murder of Ivanov and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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Ivanov was hiking from East Fort above Chapman’s Peak Drive on 27 July 2019 when the murder took place.
Mposelwa and two alleged accomplices were spotted by a couple who were walking their dog and noticed the trio behaving erratically, before running past as they headed for their car.
He ran past them, covered in blood, in possession of Ivanov’s rucksack before local security companies caught him.
Four years later, Mposelwa took a plea agreement, saying he could not do more than confess his involvement as a prison gang had made it clear that they wanted the case to go in a particular ‘direction’.
Additionally, he was found guilty of robbery with aggravated circumstances. His case was separated from that of his alleged accomplices, Franklin Isaacs and Matthew Giyo, who both went to trial after entering not guilty pleas.
The matter was postponed to 23 August for the defence and the State to submit final arguments ahead of the judgment.
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Picture: Western Cape High Court / Facebook
