Dudu Myeni ordered to pay R120k fine after pleading guilty to defeating the ends of justice

Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni has been ordered to pay a fine of R120 000 after pleading guilty to charges of defeating the ends of justice.

Myeni, on Wednesday, returned to the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court for her case related to revealing the identity of a protected witness, referred to as “Mr X”, during her testimony at the state capture commission in November 2020.

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The case was postponed in June, after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that Myeni wanted to enter into a plea bargain with the state.

She faced charges of defeating the administration of justice with alternative counts of contravention of the Commission Act.

Myeni opts to pay fine

During Wednesday’s court proceedings, Myeni was sentenced to a fine of R120 000 or two years imprisonment. Half of both sentences were suspended by five years.

Myeni opted to pay the fine instead.

She was ordered to pay R30 000 on Wednesday, with the remaining balance to be paid in installments before 29 August 2022.

Mitigating factors

Myeni’s lawyer said she was aware of the seriousness of the charges against her, but argued she should be given a lenient sentence because she was a first time offender and had no source of income since 2017.

The other mitigating factors included that Myeni would be turning 60 years old in October, she was declared a delinquent director and her bank accounts were closed because banks viewed her as a reputational risk.

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