State legal funding denied for ex-crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli

The High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday postponed the corruption case involving the former South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence head Richard Mdluli, former supply chain manager Heine Barnard and former chief financial officer of State Security Agency, Solomon Lazarus to next month.

The court deferred the matter to 22 February 2022 for the setting of a trial date.

Their former employer, SAPS, additionally denied them legal funding.

Mdluli, Barnard and Lazarus face charges of corruption, fraud and theft relating to the alleged looting of a Crime Intelligence slush fund. The crimes were allegedly committed between 2008 and 2012.

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Mdluli, Barnard and Lazarus allegedly used the slush fund to pay for private trips to China and Singapore. They are also accused of utilising witness protection houses for personal use, and leasing out Mdluli’s private residence to the state in order to pay his bond, according to Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka. 

In April, Mduli lost his bid to have a Gauteng high court judge recuse himself. Mdluli accused Judge Bert Bam of bias and not applying his mind when issuing a warrant of arrest.

Mdluli is already serving a five-year sentence for his September 2020 conviction on kidnapping and assault charges, which dated back to 1998.