Former Western Cape government official wants drug possession charges dropped

Imogen Vollenhoven
24November 2012

 Former Western Cape government official Dave McNamara wants drug possession charges against him dropped, the Cape Town Magistrate's Court heard on Friday.

 His attorney William Booth said he had been instructed by his client to ask the National Prosecutions Authority to withdraw the charges.

McNamara was arrested in June last year at inner city apartments in Cape Town after he was found in possession of the drug tik, and a broken bottle-neck used to inhale the substance.

Booth said tests had already been done on the bottle-neck, but that prosecutors now required more tests from McNamara.

At the time of his arrest, McNamara, 48, was the provincial director for community development and spearheaded programmes to combat drug abuse.

He was to have faced a disciplinary hearing, but resigned before it could take place.

Booth said McNamara agreed to submit to a second round of tests provided that his own private DNA experts could examine the test results.

We all need finality in this matter as it has been pending for some time, he said.

Magistrate Nadia Bonwari postponed the case to February 13, and McNamara's bail was extended.