THE alleged mastermind behind the R100million robbery of foreign currency from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg has failed in another bid to evade trial.

THE alleged mastermind behind the R100million robbery of foreign currency from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg has failed in another bid to evade trial.

Chris Billings, 35, applied for leave to appeal against a ruling by Justice Gerhardus Hattingh, who had earlier dismissed his application for a permanent stay of prosecution.

Yesterday the judge was still "not convinced that any other court would rule differently", and dismissed Billings' bid to appeal the ruling.

Advocate Peter Wilkens for Billings said his client would petition the Supreme Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling.

Billings and Ananias Nefumembe, Thokozani Ziqubu, Fox Sithole, Vusi Ndlangala, Uakere Maunda and Tijuanda Uakotela have been charged with stealing about R100million from SAA in March 2006.

Billings claimed he was being deprived of his right to a fair trial because he and former co-accused Nazir Ismail and Sean Soobramoney had used the same lawyer before the pair became state witnesses.