Prosecutors ordered to hand Fidentia files over to Brown

Western Cape High Court prosecutors have been ordered to hand over accounting records to former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown, it was reported on Wednesday.

Brown, who faces four counts of fraud, two counts of corruption, one count of money-laundering and two counts of theft, claimed the documents were being withheld.

According to the Cape Times, Judge Anton Veldhuizen on Tuesday said he was not in a position to say the accused did not need the documents to prepare his defence.

"I regard it as prudent and in the interest of justice and a fair trial of the accused that an order be made that these accounting records be made available to him," the judge said.

Brown's trial started last Tuesday with the State's first witness --chartered accountant and former Fidentia financial director Graham Maddock.

Velduizen said a lot of Maddock's evidence was probably not in dispute and that Brown had indicated he would be in a better position to make "substantial admissions" if he had access to the companies' accounting systems.

The newspaper reported the State as saying the volume of files was immense and would be costly to hand over. The judge said the State would pay if necessary.

The trial resumes on Monday.