Ambrose Monye, Nigeria’s former Olympic athlete who is presently being held in Pretoria for murdering a young Pretoria woman, Miss Chanelle Henning, late last year has been remanded in Pretoria prison by a Magistrate court in the region.
For not being able to pay a lawyer that would represent him in the court, the former athlete who appeared before a Pretoria Magistrate court presided over by Justice Maryke de la Rey last Thursday, was asked to be remanded pending the time that the hearing will properly commence in November.
The Presiding Magistrate told the accused person on Thursday that he should ensure he makes concrete arrangements for his legal representation before the next hearing of the case which will take place at a Pretoria High Court.
Monye’s former lawyer, Mr. Peter Jay was not present in the court to receive the notice of the case taken place at a Pretoria High Court in November as a result of the inability of the accused person to pay the lawyer for his representation.
However, the accused person was handed the notice by the Magistrate court before being taken to the prison.
In his earlier response, the former Nigeria’s Olympic athlete begged the Magistrate court to grant him time to fix his financial problems and get his former lawyers back for his representation.
In his submission, Prosecutor Andrea Johnson told the court on Thursday that she had communicated with the Monye’s lawyers and they were not ready to represent him again because he owes them a substantial amount of money.
“It is very clear that you want laywer Peter Jay to represent you in the trial. It is also clear Mr Jay has no plans of representing you in the trial” Magistrate Maryke de la Rey told Monye.
“Make concrete arrangements for yourself before this matter takes off. Speak to whoever you want to represent you but, avoid a situation where you will be forced to represent yourself in the High Court," the Magistrate added.
Meanwhile, another lawyer, Advocate Jeff Ledwaba told the court that he would take up Monye’s representation for his bail application, stressing that he would not be involved in any other matters apart from the bail application.
The hearing of the bail application was also fixed for June 15 in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.
The former Nigeria’s athlete was arrested for killing a young Pretoria woman, Chanelle Henning in November last year.
He faces charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm and will appear before a Pretoria high court in November, 2012.
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Nigerian Government where are you?
ReplyDeleteYou can not mess with an American citizen and get away with it oh.
Why is Nigeria's own different?
To imagine that this man once brought glory to the Nigerian flag.
The Nigerian Embassy owes that Nigerian a duty to provide legal representation for him if he cannot afford it!!!!