THE Chinese couple and a local businessman accused of swindling a furniture company of shares worth US$500 000 will know their fate this Friday when a regional magistrate is expected to deliver judgment on the matter. The couple, Zhaosheng Wu

and Yan Yu, who are jointly charged with Dawid Johannes Erasmus, the director of Eras Accounting and Executor Services, is appearing before Mr Never Katiyo.

The matter was last week deferred because the presiding magistrate, Mr Katiyo, was attending to other business.

The couple applied for discharge at the close of the State case after arguing that they had no case to answer as the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against them.

However, Mr Katiyo dismissed the application, saying they should be placed on their defence.