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Johannesburg - The Western Cape High Court has declared
three summonses issued to former Auction Alliance boss Rael Levitt and two
colleagues to appear before the National Consumer Commission (NCC) invalid,
according to a report on Tuesday.
Acting Judge Rob Stelzner ruled that the summonses to
Levitt, Auction Alliance chairman Sango Ntsaluba and chief financial officer
and acting chief executive Darren Bruce-Sneddon, were inconsistent with the
Constitution, reported The Star newspaper.
The summonses, issued in April, called on the trio to appear
before the National Consumer Commission (NCC) for questioning.
But the high court judgment said the NCC did not have the
power to issue a summons on this matter.
The high court judgment said that Levitt had already been
found guilty of bid rigging by the NCC.
"...any further inquiry would be an evidence-gathering
exercise for purposes of a criminal trial," reads the judgment.
In April, the NCC threatened to have Levitt arrested if he
failed to appear at its hearing.
The matter relates to the auction of Dave King's Quoin Rock
wine estate to billionaire Wendy Appelbaum for R55m.
The NCC had found Levitt guilty of bid rigging and fraud.
