State pushes for R200K bail in former DA councillor Malusi Booi corruption case

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says the state is pushing for bail amounts ranging between R20 000 and R200 000 in former City of Cape Town human settlements MMC Malusi Booi’s case.

Booi and nine others, including his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend, returned to the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday for their bail application.

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They were arrested on Monday evening following an investigation into alleged fraudulent and corrupt activities at the City of Cape Town’s human settlements directorate.

10 suspects in court

According to Brigadier Novela Potelwa, the Western Cape Saps commercial crimes unit detectives, with the anti-gang unit’s organised crime investigators, swooped on a location in the Eastern Cape, where they arrested Booi.

The investigation was initiated by commercial crimes detectives, who raided the City of Cape Town offices in March 2023 and seized a number of items.

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The other suspects were arrested in Johannesburg early on Tuesday morning, while others were arrested in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Booi, Suraya Manual, Abdul Kader Davids, Mohammed Amod, Booi’s ex-girlfriend Lorna Ndoda, his ex-wife Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Thuli Imgib, Brenda and Randall Mullins and Siphokazi September made their first appearance in Cape Town Magistrate’s court on Wednesday on charges relating to money laundering, racketeering, corruption and extortion fraud.

Malusi Booi bail application

“They [defence] proposed bail amounts ranging between R2 000 and R5 000 but the state came back and responded to those and the bail amounts proposed by the state were between R20 000 and R200 000,” Ntabazalila told the SABC.

“We did that because we looked at the amounts that were involved in these crimes we have preferred against them.

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“These individuals worked together for an enterprise that was led by Ralph Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson. The main purpose of this enterprise was to get tenders from the City of Cape Town for the benefit of this enterprise and the benefit of each individual. All these individuals benefited.”

The NPA has accused the group of working together on 11 tenders worth R850 million, which were allegedly awarded to three companies between 2019 and 2023 when Booi was the MMC.

Cash and rolex watches were allegedly received as kickbacks.

Enters Ralph Stanfield

Following Booi’s appearance on Wednesday, Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said he expected Cape Town businessman Ralph Stanfield to be added to the case.

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“We will still continue with our investigations as the case progresses. The Stanfield family will be added on Friday. It is a difficult task, but we are where we are and hoping to get to the end one. The investigation has been in the works since 2019,” Patekile told the SABC.

Stanfield appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning for a different matter.