The Johannesburg Magistrates Court has heard that North West businessman Brown Mogotsi allegedly tried three times to pressure a neighbour into changing what she told the police about his address.
One incident allegedly happened while he was in custody. The state says he called his wife from prison and had her pass the phone to the neighbour to intimidate her.
Mogotsi was previously refused bail last month, because of conflicting information about where he lives. His arrest came shortly after he gave evidence at the Madlanga Commission.
He is now charged with defeating the ends of justice, perjury, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Those charges relate to an alleged staged assissination attempt in Vosloorus in November 2025.
The state prosecutor, Advocate Thami Mpekana, alleged that Mogotsi tried to intimidate his neighbour, Thandiwe Senokwane, into changing her police statement on 5 June 2026, a day after his bail denial.
The statement says it happened at least three times, “She informed me that she feels intimidated and this was now on the third time being visited by Dorothy Lekhoaba and coerced her to give a false statement.”
Mogotsi’s lawyer, Nthabiseng Mohomane, denies any intimidation took place, including the alleged phone call. She says it’s an attempt by the state to paint Mogotsi negatively and keep him behind bars.
“If according to the statement of Senokwane, whatever her consent is, meets the requirements legally of what an intimidation is. The State then says that a telephone was handed over to Senokwane and somebody said, without being an expert on interpretation, it means Sisi will talk. If anything, that does not suffice as intimidation.”
Prosecutor Thami Mpekana also challenged the defence’s WiFi records, saying they don’t list Mogotsi or his wife, Dorothy Lekhoaba, as named on the statement, “When we look at this statement, the name of the applicant is not there, and also the name of Dorothy Lekhoaba is not there.”
But the defence disagreed, “In the application there is an ID belonging to Dorothy which shows Dorothy Lekhoaba.”
Magistrate Annalise Thlapi questioned the defence’s evidence, noting the WiFi statement only shows debit orders that ended last year. She suggested the defence had little else to support its argument on Mogotsi’s address.
The matter has been postponed to the 29th of June for a court ruling on Mogotsi’s latest bail application.
Brown Mogotsi applies for bail on new facts – 22 June 2026
