Goodwill appeals for parole

He was convicted of fraud and money laundering amounting to millions of rand, but former Fidentia man Steven Goodwin is appealing to the Western Cape High Court to release him from a 10-year jail sentence.

Goodwin, who pleaded guilty and has since turned State witness in the Fidentia saga, wants Judge Siraj Desai to review his sentence and place him under correctional supervision.

It is Goodwin’s case that he has done his part in terms of rehabilitation programmes.

His advocate, Pieter du Toit, told Judge Desai yesterday that the law made provision for some people who “do rehabilitate in a shorter period of time”.

Du Toit went on to say that Goodwin could even “give some of the money back”.

But Norman Arendse SC, for the Correctional Services Department, countered this by saying that about R100-million in the Fidentia fraud scandal was still unaccounted for.

“He fled this country, he fled to Australia and the US,” said Arendse, adding that Goodwin was eventually held in the US. “This is not someone who offered himself up for justice.

“This application should be dismissed with costs.”

Arendse said Goodwin would be eligible for parole in April, 2013, which was “not that far off”.

Judge Desai raised questions about whether he had the authority to release Goodwin at all, as he would still have to be guided by the Department of Correctional Services.

“There are more than 100 000 offenders in this country. There is no reason why your client should be given priority.”

Judge Desai went on to ask Du Toit about what kind of “sentence plan” he proposed for white-collar criminals.

“If it was a crime of violence, it would be a case of him going to anger management classes. Does it mean that because he has done everything in jail, he should come out? Assuming he has realised the folly of his ways and has all these Bible classes behind him, does that mean he has served a sufficient portion of his sentence?

“Parole requires particular expertise. Even if I had the authority to release him under correctional supervision, I would have to be guided by DCS,” said the judge.

He said he would deliver judgment on March 18. - Cape Times

aeysha.kassiem@inl.co.za