Alleged Ponzi scheme kingpin Louis Liebenberg will undergo psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is able to understand his court proceedings, reports News24.

The Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court yesterday referred him for evaluation in the wake of his nearly 30-minute-long diatribe in court on Wednesday, in which he addressed matters inconsequential to his bail application.

His rant included comments on bias, bullying, prison abuse, white bread for his gout and the Bible. It also included attacks on the presiding magistrate, whom he accused of bias, the state, the police and the media.

The court referred Liebenberg for a medico-legal assessment and he was seen by a doctor yesterday morning.

The doctor did not recommend that he be referred for psychiatric observation.

The magistrate said that while she respected the doctor’s report, the court had the final decision on whether or not a person should be referred for observation. 

The court highlighted Liebenberg’s behaviour on Wednesday, pointing out his ‘destructive actions, the disrespect, and foul language’.

The magistrate said: ‘It’s this court’s responsibility to ensure you understand court proceedings and what is at stake in your bail application. The court added that Liebenberg’s bail application had not progressed because he was focused on ‘other opinions of his own’.

Liebenberg had also not given the court any indication of whether he wanted to be represented by a Legal Aid attorney.

The court subsequently ordered that he be admitted to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital for 30 days and also ordered Legal Aid to assign a lawyer to defend him.

Liebenberg, who was visibly upset, asked if he could appeal the decision. The court said he could. He then told the magistrate that he wanted her removed from the matter.

‘On what grounds?’ she asked.

‘You are not objective. I don’t feel I will have a fair hearing in front of you,’ Liebenberg responded, before pointing out that the doctor had found him to be compos mentis.

The court said Liebenberg could brief his Legal Aid lawyer to lodge an application for her recusal. But Liebenberg insisted that he would not use the services of Legal Aid, according to News24.

Liebenberg’s bail application began in November 2024. He represented himself following his first attorney’s withdrawal.

Since then, a second legal representative has also withdrawn.

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