Pepkor, the owner of Tekkie Town, is having difficulty persuading Judge Siraj Desai, of the Western Cape High Court, that the ‘fools gold’ allegedly paid to the founders of Tekkie Town had nothing to do with the current trademark case against Mr Tekkie.

Die Burger reports that Pepkor is back in court seeking an interdict against Mr Tekkie for alleged trademark and passing off infringements. However, Desai consistently questioned Alasdair Sholto-Douglas SC, acting on behalf of Pepkor, about who the ‘honourable’ men and women were in the saga.

Sholto-Douglas said the dispute involving the Steinhoff saga and the almost worthless shares that were paid as compensation to acquire Tekkie Town had nothing to do with Pepkor, a subsidiary of Steinhoff, or the seemingly straightforward trademark dispute.

Desai at one stage asked Sholto-Douglas whether they would be able to obtain a statement from disgraced Steinhoff boss Markus Jooste to get more clarity on the issues raised by Mr Tekkie.

‘There is no way that Mr Jooste will depose of an affidavit for the applicants. They don’t see eye to to eye,’ Sholto-Douglas said.

He continued: ‘In a trademark case, you do not have the discretion to decide who the good and bad people are…This is a case about trademark infringement – nothing more or less,’ he insisted.

The case continues.

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