Four days of court transcriptions seem be missing in the trial of alleged rhino poaching kingpin Joseph Nyalungu and his three remaining co-accused, Claude Lubisi, Aretha Mhlanga and Rachel Qwebana. This emerged as the quartet of former police officers briefly appeared in the Mpumalanga High Court this morning, January 17. Their appearance follows a postponement late last year to settle financial instructions in a trial that commenced more than three years ago, in September 2021. On their last appearance on October 4, Judge Henk Roelofse, acting on behalf of Judge Lindiwe Vukeya, ordered the accused to settle the legal fees for the remaining four weeks needed to complete the matter in advance before today’s appearance. This as accused number five, Mhlanga, requested legal aid as she could no longer afford private legal representation. Adv Illana Erasmus was then assigned to represent her. Prior to this, the matter was postponed when the prosecutor, Adv Mulatlwa Mashuga, resigned from the National Prosecuting Authority to join the private sector and was replaced by specialist prosecutor Adv Ansie Venter.