Developing story: The court is expected to rule on the application today. This article will be updated.
The Johannesburg Magistrates Court is expected on Tuesday to decide whether Ndodana Tshuma, 45, may withdraw a guilty plea he entered in September, and whether a plea and sentence agreement in his South African case can still be finalised.
Tshuma is wanted in the United Kingdom on three counts of murder over the deaths of his wife and two daughters at their London home in July. He is presumed innocent of those charges, which have not been tested in any court. He was arrested in Johannesburg days after arriving at OR Tambo International Airport.
What is before the court
In September, Tshuma pleaded guilty to possessing an unlicensed firearm and to contravening the Immigration Act, following weeks of negotiation over a plea and sentence agreement. According to reports of the matter, he has since told his lawyer that he cannot remember signing the agreement.
The court is expected to decide whether he may withdraw the plea and whether the agreement can still be finalised.
Why it matters for extradition
Tshuma's extradition to the United Kingdom is on hold until the South African case is finalised. The outcome of today's application therefore affects when, and in what order, he will face the cases against him.
It has also been reported that his lawyer has suggested a medical evaluation.
What we do not yet know
- Whether the court will allow the plea to be withdrawn.
- What happens to the plea and sentence agreement if it is not finalised.
- Whether a medical evaluation will be ordered, and how that would affect the timetable.
- How long the delay could push back his extradition.
