The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Mbombela in Mpumalanga has postponed the R74 million corruption case against former minister of state security Bongani Bongo and 10 co-accused.
Bongo and his co-accused did not appear before the court on Wednesday, after previously bringing an application for the matter to be struck off the roll, arguing that there is not sufficient evidence which warrants a conviction.
On Wednesday, the court was expected to hand down its ruling on the accused people, including Bongo’s application for a discharge.
“There was no warrant of arrest issued. The matter was in court today (Wednesday) for judgment on Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act,” Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Monica Nyuswa told IOL.
“However, all role players made prior arrangements to postpone the matter to May 2, 2024. Only one accused appeared (in court on Wednesday).”
Bongo is the former minister of state security, appointed by then president Jacob Zuma, until he was relieved of his duties in 2018.
He was suspended by the ANC and removed as the chairperson of Parliament's Home Affairs Portfolio Committee in 2021 following the corruption case.
Bongo has been charged alongside co-accused, including his brother Sipho Joel Bongo, David Boy Dube, Robert Barwise, Bongani Louis Henry Sibiya, Patrick Donald Chirwa, Harrington Sizwakhendaba Dhlamini, Blessing Mduduzi Singwane, Vusi Willem Magagula, Bongani Louis Henry Sibiya, Elmon Lawrence Mdaka, Sibongile Mercy Mdaka and Bongani Bongo’s ex-wife Sandile Nkosi.
Companies Little River Trading 156, Broad Market Trading 204, Bongiveli and Pfuka Afrika have also been charged in the case which involves almost 70 counts of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
Allegations are that the accused people and entities defrauded the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements during the purchase of two farms between April 2008 and December 2016.
The SABC reported that the case emanates from the purchase of two farms for the Emalahleni and Msukaligwa municipalities in Mpumalanga using state funds. It is alleged that the accused people and entities inflated the price of the farms, with the figures ballooning to R74 million.
Of all the accused people, David Boy Dube was reportedly the only person who made the court appearance on Wednesday. Dube was the head of department at the Mpumalanga provincial department when the crime allegedly took place.
Magistrate Deon van Rooyen stated that he was not ready to deliver his ruling on the accused group’s application for an acquittal.
The accused are on R10,000 bail.
In 2022, IOL reported that the accused allegedly conspired to inflate the value of the the farms bought on behalf of the two local municipalities in an alleged land deal.
Some of the accused allegedly received kickbacks after the owners of the farms in question were paid less than the amount that was spent by government.
Bongo claims the case is politically motivated and he maintains his innocence.
IOL