Mdluli fails to have high court judge recused Pretoria high court Judge Bert Bam on Tuesday dismissed an application by Richard Mdluli for his recusal, filed 10 days after the state brought an application to bar him from further delays in his fraud and corruption trial. In dismissing the application by the Zuma-era crime intelligence boss, whose descent from grace began a decade ago, Bam said it lacked substance and bordered on being undertaken in bad faith. The reasons for recusal given by Mdluli’s legal counsel included that the judge was biased and failed to apply his mind when issuing a warrant for his arrest in early March.