Ace Magashule’s former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, appears at Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 13 August 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/Volksblad/Mlungisi Louw
The case against former Free State premier Ace Magashule’s personal assistant (PA), Moroadi Cholota, has been postponed to December 2024.
Cholota made a brief appearance before the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
She is among 18 accused, alongside Magashule, in the R255-million Free State asbestos scandal.
Cholota, who is out on R2 500 bail, is facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
The former personal assistant stands accused of facilitating corrupt financial transactions on behalf of Magashule.
During proceedings, prosecutor Tammy McPherson informed the court that the state was not ready to proceed with the pre-trial hearing as she was yet to furnish the defence with full disclosure of some aspects of the docket.
“We have already made an undertaking to provide the [documents] to them. The investigating officer will personally hand over the [documents] to them on Monday,” McPherson said.
Cholota’s legal representative stated that the outstanding information was of a “voluminous nature” and requested a postponement.
“We, therefore, have agreed that the matter be rolled over further for us to assess the additional information that is outstanding and also to give them an indication on the next appearance date as to our readiness or otherwise insofar as pre-trial is concerned; and/or whether we are going to exercise our other available pre-trial remedies such as asking for further particulars and/or representations and so forth,” the lawyer said.
The case was adjourned to 4 December.
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Cholota previously sought to have her charges dropped.
She challenged the legality and constitutionality of her extradition from the United States (US) and her subsequent arrest.
However, her urgent application was dismissed with costs by Judge Mareena Opperman on 26 August 2024.
She also challenged South Africa’s extradition request in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) but was rejected on the basis that no case had been made out for either urgency or direct access.
Cholota was extradited to South Africa following her arrest in Baltimore on 12 April 2024.
She arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on 8 August under law-enforcement escort, following the US authorisation of her extradition just days earlier on 31 July.
The former Free State premier’s personal assistant was wanted in connection with an R255 million contract awarded in 2014 to the Diamond Hill Trading and Blackhead Consulting joint venture by the Free State Department of Human Settlements.
READ MORE: Magashule’s ex-PA says state is punishing her ‘for not cooperating’
The contract was intended for the removal of harmful asbestos from homes in the province.
It is alleged that government officials in the Free State received R27 million in bribes related to this tender.
A warrant for Cholota’s arrest was subsequently issued in 2021 after backtracked on her decision to become a state witness.
Other accused in the case include former Mangaung Mayor Olly Mlamleli and controversial businessman Edwin Sodi.
Their trial will run from 15 April to 23 June 2025 in the Free State High Court.
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