Staff Reporter
Gupta ‘associate’ Iqbal Sharma who has been languishing in remand prison for about a month is taking his fight to be released on bail to the Free State High Court on Friday morning.
The Investigating Directorate said in a statement the matter will be heard virtually.
Sharma was denied bail last month by the Bloemfontein Regional Court.
He is one of the 17 accused persons or companies who face charges of defrauding the Free State agriculture department of R25 million in 2011.
Four of his co-accused who are currently in South Africa were granted bail last month.
They are former Free State Agriculture and Rural Development head, Mbana Peter Thabethe; his predecessor Limakatso Moorosi; the department’s former chief financial officer Seipati Sylvia Dhlamini and Sharma’s brother-in-law Dinesh Patel.
The matter relates to allegations of fraud in connection with a R25 million feasibility study contract that was irregularly granted to Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd, a company owned and controlled by Sharma, who is also a former Transnet board member.
The company was required to provide a report to the department within seven months.
Nulane, however, subcontracted the work to Deloitte Consulting (Pty) Ltd for R1.5 million.
It then subcontracted the work already completed by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid the latter over R19 million.
The accused face charges of fraud and money laundering.
The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.