After a lengthy diatribe about bias, bullying, prison abuse, white bread, and the Bible – some of which was incoherent – alleged Ponzi scheme kingpin Louis Liebenberg has been referred to a district surgeon for an evaluation.

Liebenberg yesterday appeared in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court where he was expected to continue with his partly heard bail application.

Instead, he spent the time addressing the court on matters irrelevant to his bail application. 

News24 reports that Liebenberg’s insulted the presiding magistrate, the state, the police and the media and others.

‘I’m being bullied in prison. I’m being bullied by police. I’m being bullied by liquidators. I’m being bullied by the press. I’m being bullied by everybody,’ Liebenberg told the court.

He tried to reprimand the magistrate for addressing him while he spoke, and made various claims which he did not substantiate against officials at Kgosi Mampuru prison and Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald.

‘The shithole (is) exactly like (US President Donald) Trump is saying about Africa. And this is what we’ve become. And the more I talk about it, and the more I come to a court and we’re talking about constitutional rights, the more I want to vomit because I’m seeing there’s nothing like that,’ he said.

Liebenberg also questioned why he had to call the presiding officer ‘your worship’.

‘And I don’t want you to get upset with me again. The Bible says clearly that I can’t worship anybody except God. God the Father, God the Son. And God the Holy Spirit. We’ve got this thing from England, “worship” and “your honour”. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have respect. I just have a problem calling somebody ‘worship’. Where does it come from? We’re in Africa, it’s potholes.’

He suggested President Cyril Ramaphosa should stop visiting Trump ‘with the real President of this country, John Rupert’.

After a lengthy postponement, the court heard that Liebenberg had been taken to three clinics, but no doctor could see him.

Arrangements have been made for him to be evaluated today.

The outcome of such an evaluation will determine whether he is referred for observation or can continue with the bail application.

News24 reports that Liebenberg and his eight co-accused – including his wife, Dezi – allegedly convinced thousands of people to hand over more than R4bn for investments in the diamond industry.

Two companies linked to Liebenberg and his company, Tariomix, were the vehicles for the alleged scams, trading as Forever Diamonds and Gold and Forever Zircon.

Full News24 report