NPA continues investigation into Ace Ncobo

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will continue its investigation against former PSL referee Andile "Ace" Ncobo, who was on Tuesday released on a warning after his partner withdrew assault and GBVH charges against him.

According to the NPA, Ncobo was arrested on domestic violence charges on June 28. 

Ncobo is reported to have assaulted his girlfriend, an incident that was allegedly witnessed by a minor in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, last month.

Ncobo appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, where Magistrate Bella Letoaba stated that after the victim furnished the court with an affidavit and withdrawal statements, the court was satisfied that, in the interest of justice, Ncobo should be released on a warning and not bail.

Meanwhile, the NPA continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal statements.

"The accused presented evidence in support of his bail application, and an affidavit was filed, while the respondent also filed several withdrawal statements, stating there are no threats against her life.

"In the second statement, the complainant requests the court to grant the applicant bail as she believes that the accused is a good man who will not assault her, as in all the years they have been together, he has never been violent," the magistrate read from her judgment.

NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, revealed that the NPA no longer withdraws their investigations on domestic abuse charges until they have investigated the circumstances of the victim's withdrawal statements.

"As you might be aware, under the Domestic Violence Act, that act on its own was promulgated to afford maximum protection to victims of GBV; hence, as the NPA, we have given directives to our prosecutors not to withdraw cases of domestic violence even at the behest of the complainant. As such, we are continuing with the investigation," Mjonondwane stated outside court.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, the matter was postponed to August 3, with Ncobo given strict bail conditions not to interfere with the investigation and the alleged victim.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the case, Leon Khoza, speaking on behalf of Ncobo, said it was still too early to gauge his client's response to the outcome as the matter is still under investigation.

"Today was a bail application, and my client was released under strict conditions as the matter is still subject to further investigation at this stage. As a result, we cannot pre-empt what will happen. In court, the complainant indicated that she no longer wanted to proceed further with the case, and some statements were filed in this regard. When it comes to domestic violence matters, the State sometimes does not withdraw the charges immediately, and with the current investigation, we will take things from there," he stated.

Ncobo's domestic violence legal woes come just weeks after the former referee, alongside his wife, Salomie Twaise Ncobo, appeared in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on three counts of fraud and money laundering relating to a R15m donation for school construction projects in the Eastern Cape.

In this matter, the State is accusing the pair of embarking on a scheme to fraudulently acquire money from the Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (PetroSA), allegedly, in a way that favoured them, their family members, and entities they had a vested interest in.

Cape Times