Avinash Ramkistan, a 39-year-old man from Glen Ashley in Durban North, has been found guilty in the Durban Regional Court on multiple serious charges, including intimidation, crimen injuria, and contraventions of both the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act and the Cybercrimes Act.

The conviction stems from a series of threatening communications directed at a judge, prosecutors, police officers, and even the former National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, after Ramkistan lost a civil court case.

According to court evidence, the matter began after the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) disbarred Ramkistan from the insurance industry for 10 years following the liquidation of his underwriting business.He subsequently pursued civil litigation against the FSCA and Standard Bank in the Durban High Court.

When an acting judge dismissed his case with costs, Ramkistan escalated the situation by opening a fraud and corruption case against the judge involved in the ruling.

Investigators from the Hawks testified that Ramkistan then began issuing threats via emails, voice recordings, and social media posts, including Facebook.Audio evidence presented in court revealed explicit threats of violence and intimidation directed at prosecutors and other justice officials.He was also heard claiming authority to “arrest” individuals without a warrant and threatening “death” and “bloodshed.” Ramkistan was arrested in March 2024 and has remained in custody since then.Throughout his trial proceedings, he chose to represent himself in court.The evidence, including recorded messages played before the court, formed a key part of the prosecution’s case.He was ultimately found guilty on all charges last week, and sentencing is expected to be delivered next month in the Durban Regional Court.