Adam Catzavelos loses bid to not face crimen injuria charges
Businessman Adam Catzavelos‘ bid to not face charges of crimen injuria has failed.
Catzavelos’ hate speech case resumed in the Equality Court sitting at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The application was brought by the Human Rights Commission after a self-recorded video of Catzavelos emerged in which he allegedly utters the K-word while on holiday in Greece in August last year. In the video, he is seen celebrating the lack of black people on the beach.
During Catzavelos’ last court appearance earlier in August, presiding Magistrate Naren Sewnarain recused himself from the case due to a conflict of interest.
This is because of the close relationship he has with Catzavelos’ lawyer, Lawley Shein.
The Human Rights Commission wanted Catzavelos to pay a R200 000 fine and to issue a public apology.
Catzavelos has agreed to pay R150 000 fine and issue a public apology over his racial outbursts in August last year.