Cape Town - A lawyer charged with drug possession and dealing in drugs made his first appearance in the Kuilsriver Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
The defendant intends to represent himself.
Ayanda Lennox Pupa was arrested on Tuesday while trying to enter the court with parcels later discovered by police that contained dagga and mandrax.
The 41-year-old told the court yesterday that he would like to represent himself.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said: “Ayanda Lennox Pupa, 41, was charged with dealing in drugs following his arrest at the court on June 4, 2024.
“He was allegedly found in possession of 100 mandrax tablets and 79 sachets of dagga. He has elected to conduct his own defence and his case has been postponed until June 13, 2024 for bail application. The State will oppose his bail application.”
Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said a police member deployed at the court was called to assist security at the main entrance on Tuesday, after he accosted a “suspicious man” at the entrance.
"The discovery was seized as evidence. The suspect became known as an attorney who was supposed to represent a suspect at the mentioned magistrates’ court. The 41-year-old man was detained on a charge of possession of drugs,” Swartbooi said.
It is the third time that Pupa was apprehended for allegedly smuggling drugs into court.
In 2021 he was nabbed at the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court, allegedly caught handing a packet of drugs to an inmate while being drunk in court where he was defending a client.
The following year in June, while out on bail, he allegedly passed a packet of drugs to Vuyolwethu Nobuntu in the dock.
Police found 60 mandrax pills, four packets of tik, 20 packets of cocaine and two parcels of dagga.
He was released on R20 000 bail.