Schultz works out new deal

Charges of assault were yesterday withdrawn against Michael Schultz - one of the men who confessed to the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble - because the man he allegedly beat up decided to settle out of court.

Outlaw Security Company CEO Ashraff Cajee and Schultz yesterday agreed to meet and settle their differences, said Cajee's lawyer, Saleem Ebrahim.

Schultz, along with Nigel McGurk and Faizel Smith, allegedly beat up Cajee during a brawl outside Sandton nightclub Taboo in April. He laid a counter charge of assault against Cajee.

Ebrahim tol d the Randburg Magistrate's Court that the withdrawal of the charge against Schultz will be delayed to April 5 because the docket was not in court and the investigating officer was on honeymoon.

Schultz received indemnity for Kebble's murder in return for testifying against confessed druglord Glenn Agliotti.

Ebrahim said he found it odd that the investigating officer, from Sandton police station, did not place the assault charge against Schultz on the Randburg Magistrate's Court's roll until a year after the case was opened.

"The timing begs a lot of questions," he said.

"The Sandton-based investigating officer has to answer why it has taken a year to investigate a simple grievous bodily harm charge."

He also asked why only Schultz was charged because he had at least two friends who allegedly held down Cajee while Schultz allegedly bit his cheek.

Schultz made headlines earlier this month when his firearm competency certificates for five guns were renewed by Sandton police despite the Kebble murder.

An investigation into why the police renewed the certificates is continuing, said national police spokesman Captain Dennis Adriao.

Schultz handed in his weapons in the middle of March.

Ebrahim said the investigating officer had met Cajee only once in the past 12 months.

Schultz was flanked by at least five friends, including bouncer McGurk, and former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs striker Marc Batchelor, yesterday.

Though there was confusion in the court about the missing docket, outside Schultz and his friends joked with journalists and chatted about their tattoos.

Ebrahim said he took it upon himself to find the docket. He approached the court orderly and asked him to call the investigating officer.

He found out that the docket was locked in a senior prosecutor's office.

Schultz's lawyer, Rynier Spies, declined to comment.