More court troubles for Edwin Sodi

Controversial businessman Edwin Sodi may soon be back in the dock, after his bank has reportedly taken legal action to recover his nearly R600,000 debt.

Sodi was the tenderpreneur awarded a R291 million contract to upgrade the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant, which didn’t happen. The failure left thousands of residents without clean drinking water and sparked a humanitarian crisis in Hammanskraal. He was implicated in the state capture report.

Sodi appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court last week on attempted murder charges. The matter was struck off the roll after a complainant filed a withdrawal statement.

However, City Press reported that Sodi could soon return to court for not paying his hefty credit card and overdraft bill.

A luxury life on credit

Among the items reportedly bought on credit were a R18 000 per night hotel stay in London and R40 000 spent on Louis Vuitton items.

“Edwin Sodi is indebted to the bank as of 26 August 2024 in the amount of R570 248. Despite the demand, he has failed or refused to pay the amount due and payable to the bank,” legal papers filed by the bank reportedly read.

Sodi has not yet responded. Any update will be included once received.

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A court regular

Sodi will be back in court next month in connection with a R255 million Free State asbestos contract.

He and his co-accused will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court for the trial, which will run from 15 April to 23 June.

ALSO READ: Free State struggles to resuscitate asbestos roofing project

GBV allegations

Sodi was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH), and pointing a firearm following a shooting in Bryanston, Johannesburg, in 2022.

He was accused of discharging a firearm several times in front of his estranged wife and a friend. He was arrested and later released on R150 000 bail.

The incident drew outrage, with gender-based violence advocates calling for justice.

“GBV in our country is rampant, and women depend on our courts to uphold their rights. [GBV is] characterised by the use and abuse of physical, emotional, financial power and control,” a senior prosecutor at Randburg Magistrate’s Court, Yusuf Baba, told the court at the time.

Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale

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