Staff Reporter
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule says he is ready for his day in court because he has nothing to fear.
He said this when he arrived at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Friday for the continuation of the Free State asbestos corruption case.
“I am ready for my day in court. Isn’t you said that I must have my day in court…?” Magashule said as he calmly responded to questions from journalists gathered at the entrance to the court.
The former Free State premier says he is not bothered by the charges against him as the case is just a “waste of time”.
“It’s just a waste of my time . . . I am really not bothered about the charges,” he said.
Magashule’s fraud and corruption case is heading to the Free State High Court following his brief appearance at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was ready to proceed with the matter but the defence of the 16 accused asked magistrate Mxolisi Saliwa to postpone the matter to August 11, when a pre-trial hearing will be held.
Magashule is charged alongside Free State human settlements department head Nthimotse Mokhesi; its supply chain management director, Mahlomola Matlakala; businessman Edwin Sodi and Sodi’s company, Blackhead Consulting; Diamond Hill Trading 71, whose owner Igo Mpambani was murdered in 2017; and 605 Consulting Solutions, which is Mpambani’s widow Michele Mpombani’s company.
Other accused are businessman Sello Radebe and his company, Mastertrade 232; ORI and its director, Abel Manyeki; former national human settlements director-general Thabane Zulu; as well as erstwhile Free State human settlements MEC and former Mangaung mayor Olly Mlamleli.
Michele Mpambani is not among the accused.
Another three senior provincial government officials – provincial human settlements department chief financial officer Nozipho Molikoe; its project management unit director, Thabiso Makepe; and Albertus Venter, an attorney who was a senior official in Magashule’s office during his tenure as Free State premier – were added as accused in the matter following their arrests by the Hawks on Thursday.
Molikoe, Makepe and Venter, who earn between R88 000 and R98 000 a month, were each granted R50 000 bail by magistrate Saliwa.
The 16 accused are all out on bail of between R50 000 and R500 000 in the asbestos case.
They are facing charges ranging from fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and the Public Finance Management Act in relation to the R255 million contract to audit houses that had asbestos roofs in the province.