Anton Katz, the henchman who emulates Roland Freisler, one of the most despicable personalities of the 20th century
known for humiliating defendants and shouting loudly at them - just as I personally witnessed Anton Katz do in the Cape Town High Court, is mentioned again.
Freisler was known to be an admirer of Andrei Vyshinsky, the chief prosecutor of the Soviet purge trials, and reportedly copied his demeanor from Vyshinsky's. A number of the trials for defendants in the 20 July Plot before the People's Court were filmed and recorded. In the 1944 trial against Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld, for example, Freisler shouted so loudly that the technicians who were filming the proceeding had major problems making the defendant's words audible. Graf von Schwerin, like many other defendants in the plot, was sentenced to death by hanging. Among this and other show trials, Freisler headed the 1943 proceedings against the members of the White Rose resistance group, and ordered many of its members to be executed by guillotine.
Anton Katz however, prefers to live his doublespeak ideology quietly and privately. Whilst ruling left, right and forward on ANC policies in order to be noticed as an upcoming judge "who does the right thing" he silently shows his hand, his real character, his complete lack of any form of integrity whatsoever, by being the championship-bully for the bread cartels, ensuring that the fat cats remain well fed and the people remain just hungry enough to vote for bread.
A ruling is expected today on the class action in the Western Cape High Court taken by a group of activist organisations, including Cosatu, against the big three bread makers – two of which have previously been found guilty of fixing bread prices.
Meanwhile, the government made it clear that a special fund set up to house the R250 million fine on Pioneer Foods, would break fiscal rules, hence the imposed fine must be directed to the national revenue fund overseen by the Treasury.
Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel had said that the money would go to an agro-processing start-up fund run by the Industrial Development Corporation, which falls under his department’s domain.
Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel had said that the money would go to an agro-processing start-up fund run by the Industrial Development Corporation, which falls under his department’s domain.
Commenting after the weekly cabinet meeting, government spokesman Vusi Mona said the matter had not been discussed in cabinet. However, Mona said any money owing to the state needed to be directed through the Treasury. It is not clear at this stage whether Patel’s fund – aimed at promoting competitiveness in the food industry – will still be viable.
Another fund to protect the poor may also fail to see the light of day. Should the activist groups lose their case, it is likely to end their hopes of setting up a fund – this time managed by the non-government sector – to benefit poverty alleviation projects.
At the high court yesterday, Acting Judge Francois van Zyl reserved judgment, but is expected to make a ruling today after hearing argument from Cosatu Western Cape, the Black Sash, The Children’s Resources Centre, the National Consumer Forum and five individual consumers, as to why they should be recognized as representatives of the poor in the Western Cape who paid inflated bread prices.
The three major bread producers, Premier Foods, Tiger Brands and Pioneer Foods, have also presented their case.
Yesterday much of the day was devoted to argument from Premier Foods’ legal representative, Anton Katz, who argued that Premier could not be sued. This was because it had not been found guilty of price-fixing, but instead had been granted corporate leniency.
Charles Abrahams for the activist groupings argued that the rights of the people harmed by cartel activity needed to be upheld. He also argued that corporate leniency was a policy of the Competition Commission and was not provided for in terms of the Competition Act.
The commission granted Premier Foods leniency for co-operating with its probe and Tiger Brands reached a settlement with the competition regulator in 2007.
Black Sash advocacy program-manager Nkosikhulule Nyembezi emphasized that it was an urgent application because the class action for damages had to be filed within three years of a judgment for price-fixing. - Business Report
