Accused in FS asbestos corruption case get bail of between R50k and R500k each

Bail has been set between R50,000 to R500,000 for the seven suspects involved the controversial multimillion-rand asbestos audit project case. The accused appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The suspects were arrested by the Hawks this week, in relation to a 2014 Free State asbestos audit tender worth R255 million.

Accused two and nine were granted R50,000 bail, accused three was granted R500,000 bail and the rest of the accused were granted R100,000 bail.

The matter was adjourned to 11 November.

The suspects include the former mayor of the Mangaung metro municipality, Olly Mlamleli, businessman Edwin Sodi, former head of the department of human settlements in the Free State, Nthimose Mokhesi, and the former director-general of the national department of human settlements, Thabane Zulu.

Sodi, 47, was released on R500 000 bail and Mokhesi and Mlamleli were granted R100 000 bail.

The other accused in the matter are Johannesburg based businessman Sello Joseph Radebe, 56, who was granted R100,000 bail, director of supply chain management at the department of human settlement Mahlomola John Matlakala, 42, and a businessman from Pretoria, Abel Kgotso Manyeki, 38, who were both granted R50,000 bail.

National spokesperson of the national prosecuting authority (NPA) Sipho Ngwema said: “All the seven accused had to surrender their passports to the Hawks.”

Ngwema said the seven suspects appeared along with five companies, namely, Blackhead Consulting, Diamond Hill Trading 71 (Pty) Ltd, 605 Consulting Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Mastertrade 232 (Pty) Ltd, and Ori Group (Pty) Ltd.

Ngwema said one of the allegations made by the State is that “huge amounts of money” were laundered through a number of companies and accounts over a period of time.

“The investigations are continuing and further arrests are expected,” Ngwema said.

A spokesperson for the national prosecuting authority (NPA) told a reporter on Friday that one of the accused was bust smuggling money into the holding cells and that it is expected that more charges will be brought against the said accused.

The accused was allegedly going to use the money to purchase cellphones, the NPA spokesperson told the reporter.

NPA spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said the Asset Forfeiture Unit has applied for the assets of the accused to be attached.

The accused are facing over 60 charges which include corruption, fraud, money laundering in contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, POCA, as well as contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has expressed its confidence in the evidence it has gathered in its investigation into the matter.

Spokesperson of the SIU Kaizer Kganyago told OFM News that the arrests of the seven suspects in the matter came after an investigation by the unit and the Hawks assisted by the NPA.

Kganyago told the publication that the investigation follows a proclamation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019.

Meanwhile, a group gathered outside the court on Friday to show support for Mlamleli, saying that the case against her was politically motivated.

OFM News reports that one of the supporters Malefu Mofokeng said that the group was showing support for Mlamleli in their personal capacity and that the former mayor was being singled out when other government officials had played a role in irregular tender processes.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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