Former Mangaung mayor draws a crowd outside court ahead of corruption appearance

Supporters of the former mayor of the Mangaung metro municipality, Olly Mlamleli, have been picketing outside the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Friday, ahead of her appearance following her arrest in connection with the controversial multimillion-rand asbestos audit project deal in the Free State.

Mlamleli is among the seven suspects arrested by the Hawks this week in relation to a 2014 Free State asbestos audit tender worth R255 million.

The accused are expected to appear in court on Friday 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.

Mlamleli’s supporters held up placards reading: “This case is politically motivated” and “Hands off Cde Olly Mlamleli”.

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It was reported that the supporters said that Mlameli was being targeted by the state which was overlooking other well-known politicians implicated in corruption.

According to a reliable source, Mlamleli’s arrest was linked to her role in the R255 million asbestos deal which was awarded to a joint venture by businessmen Edwin Sodi and the late Phikolomzi Ignatius “Igo” Mpambani.

Her arrest followed that of Edwin Sodi, who was reportedly arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday morning, for his involvement in the asbestos looting scheme. The Hawks also nabbed 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.

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