Cape Town – National Coloured Congress leader and Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams appeared briefly at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where his case was transferred to the Regional Court.
The matter is expected to return on 11 September, with Adams remaining on bail.
Adams said his appearance was also an opportunity to demonstrate that he was complying with the conditions of his bail.
He is accused of fraud and defeating the ends of justice in connection with visits to Westville Correctional Centre in 2024 and 2025, where he interviewed two inmates as part of an oversight visit without an official parliamentary mandate.
Speaking to SABC News, Adams questioned why authorities had chosen to arrest him instead of first asking him to provide a warning statement.
WATCH | NCC leader and MP Fadiel Adams says he does not understand why he was arrested instead of being asked to provide a warning statement, adding that Parliament has no reason to intervene in the matter. pic.twitter.com/0jp4nh5Qj6
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 14, 2026
“I really hope that people are asking the same question with my case. Why arrest? Why not ask me for a warning statement?” he said.
Adams also referred to the case involving Andy Johnson and Dumisani Kumalo, questioning the circumstances surrounding their arrests.
He said he intended to present evidence to a commission established to investigate the broader issues he had raised.
“I’ve presented the evidence to the commission. I need to go and sit down and read it into the record, and then hopefully the country will understand what’s at play,” Adams said.
The MP also criticised Parliament over claims he previously made about difficulties accessing his laptop and other electronic devices, which he said affected his ability to testify.
Parliament has disputed some of Adams’ claims. However, he maintained that he had evidence to support his version of events, including correspondence with the Speaker and records relating to technical assistance provided to his laptop.
“Parliament is lying. I’ve got the evidence on my phone,” Adams said, adding that he had sent the evidence to an eNCA editor.
Adams questioned why Parliament had become involved in the matter, arguing that the institution should ensure that its conduct remains beyond question.
[BREAKING] The Fadiel Adams case has been transferred to the Regional Court, with the matter set down for 11 September. The suspended Member of Parliament faces charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice. Tune in to #eNCA on #DStv403 for more updates. pic.twitter.com/9pRkdAOmv6
— eNCA (@eNCA) August 14, 2026
He also referred to allegations contained in submissions to the Gauteng High Court, suggesting that the issues could extend beyond Parliament. However, Adams said he would leave those matters to the relevant judicial processes and focus on presenting his evidence before the court.
“I’m not here to do Madlanga’s job. We’ve got a very competent justice sitting on that bench. I’m just going to present evidence to them,” he said.
Adams said his appearance on Friday was aimed at showing the court that he was acting in good faith and had not breached his bail conditions.
He also claimed that the court had ordered him to report his daily movements to people whom he alleges were involved in obtaining a warrant for his arrest through false information.
The case is set to return to the Regional Court on 11 September.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
