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Cape Town - The State is welcome to formally re-pursue certain charges it dropped against him, former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown told the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.
"If the State wants to pursue a trial, then maybe we should deal with it. If you're going to deal with [all of] these charges, deal with them at once," Brown said.
Jannie van Vuuren, for the State, spent Tuesday morning tirelessly cross-examining Brown on his arguments made in mitigation of sentence on two counts of fraud.
Brown was asked about aspects relating not only to his convictions, but to seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud, which have been dropped.
His lawyer Braganza Pretorius made frequent objections to the line of questioning and its relevance.
An exhausted-looking Brown became increasingly frustrated with the questions and eventually addressed the court.
Brown said he had acted in good faith by making admissions and pleading guilty regarding misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company. He had taken the court into his confidence and saved time.
Van Vuuren said he was trying to reveal Brown's state of mind when the crimes were committed and "reveal the truth".
Judge Anton Veldhuizen reprimanded Van Vuuren at times about the relevance of the questions, and said it was not helpful to the task he had at hand, which was to think of a suitable sentence.
Sentencing arguments were postponed by the Western Cape High Court.
The State and defence will return on Thursday to argue the scope of cross-examination permitted in relation to Brown's testimony.
The defence might call a witness to testify in mitigation of sentence.
