Lawyers to recoup McBride’s legal fees

Johannesburg - Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality has hired lawyers to recoup R7.8-million it paid for Robert McBride’s legal fees.

Although they refused to say who the money would be recovered from, spokesman Samuel Modiba, said an investigation which would reveal this, was under way.

And if the process (of recouping the money) was not successful, the DA in the municipal district would approach the Public Protector to investigate the matter.

Last week McBride won his appeal against a conviction of drunken driving and attempting to obstruct justice.

Pretoria High Court Judge Cynthia Pretorius dismissed all the charges against McBride. He was sentenced to a five-year prison term by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in 2011.

Judges Pretorius and Lettie Molopa-Sethosa found in their appeal judgment that the three main witnesses in McBride’s case were not credible and their statements should be dismissed; that witnesses at the scene could not tell for certain that McBride was drunk; and that McBride’s slurred speech and difficulty walking could be due to a medical reason.

The Ekurhuleni Council’s legal bill totalled R12-million.

Modiba said the Municipal Systems Act and the rationalisation of local Government Act (Gauteng) authorises the council to provide legal assistance to its employees.

However, the act states that legal assistance was limited to R10 000.

McBride refused to comment. - Saturday Star