Durban – The murder trial of Eldorado Park teenager Nathaniel Julies will start afresh next month following the appointment of a new judge.
Judge Ramarumo Monama, the former presiding judge, died in February.
On Friday, Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed that the trial would start anew in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Monday, October 3.
“The officers implicated (in Nathaniel’s death) will appear before a new judge and they face charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice,” Suping said.
The 16-year-old, who was born with Down syndrome, was shot on August 26, 2020.
It is further alleged that in an attempt to cover up the shooting, officers dumped Nathaniel's body at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital where he died soon afterwards.
IOL previously reported that in the interest of justice all testimony that had already been given will have to be given again for consideration by the new presiding judge.
At the time, the regional spokesperson for the Director of Public Prosecutions Gauteng Local Division, Phindi Mjonondwana, said 24 witnesses had already taken the stand at the time of Judge Monama’s death. When asked why the new presiding judge could not go through the record of what had already happened in the case so far and continue from where Monama had left off, she stated that procedure had to be followed.
IOL