Trial of Durban arms dealer Anderson Padayachee stalls over unpaid legal fees

The trial of Durban arms dealer Anderson Padayachee has hit a snag.

Padayachee was back in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday, but the matter was postponed after his lawyers told the court they had not been paid.

Padayachee is accused of supplying the Terrible Josters gang with firearms, a link which has been tied to eight murders and five attempted murders.

Anderson Padayachee faces 66 charges, including murder, attempted murder, and several under the Firearms Control Act.

It is alleged that he supplied the Cape Town gang, the Terrible Josters, with firearms between 2017 and 2019.

Court proceedings in the trial on Tuesday were brief.

His legal representative, Advocate Carlo Viljoen, asked the judge for a postponement, stating that he had not been paid by his client.

Judge Daniel Thulare advised Padayachee to be frank about his financial situation and apply for Legal Aid if he could not pay his legal team.

The judge postponed the matter to 3 December, and Padayachee’s bail has been extended until then.