Magashule back in Bloemfontein court in R255m asbestos corruption case
Former Free State premier Ace Magashule and his co-accused will appear in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Friday in relation to the failed R255 million asbestos project.
Magashule, former Mangaung Metro Mayor Olly Mlamleli, and businessman Edwin Sodi are facing a variety of charges today stemming from the failed 2014 project.
The suspects will appear for yet another pre-trial session, which has been marred by long postponements due to a variety of issues raised around the case against the suspects.
In September 2022, Judge Phillip Loubser postponed the matter to today to allow some of the accused to petition the Bloemfontein-based Supreme Court of Appeal ruling to dismiss leave to appeal an earlier High Court judgment.
The 18 suspects face various charges, including fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to the 2014 project, where state money was allegedly looted and syphoned from its coffers.
It's also expected to be heard if Magashule's former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, who is currently abroad studying in the United States, has been added to the indictment sheet as the latest suspect in the case.
State advocate Nazeer Cassim previously mentioned that there was a flagrant breach of Treasury regulations when awarding the controversial multi-million rand project, which was commissioned to eradicate the asbestos roofs of 30 000 households across the province in 2014.
The state alleges that Sodi was irregularly awarded the housing audit tender by the Free State Human Settlements Department in 2014 via his joint venture with Diamond Hill Trading - owned by murdered Welkom businessman Igo Mpambani. Not only was the tender irregular, but kickbacks were reportedly given to some of the accused.
There have been calls made to the State to remove the failed R255 million Free State asbestos project from the court roll.
On Friday 23 September 2022, during the continuation of a pretrial in the case, one of the accused, through his legal representative, Lebohang Mokhele, told Judge Loubser that such a move would allow the State to put its house in order.
Mokhele said the constant and long postponements in the trial have a financial adverse effect on his client, who is accused number 2 Mahlomola John Matlakala. Mokhele added that in the event that the State decides to remove the matter from the roll it will not be prejudiced.
The trial dealt a blow to Magashule, as he could not run the race for the top ANC position during the organisation's national elective conference in December 2022, held in Johannesburg.
He was suspended through a party policy called "the step-aside rule" after he was charged for his alleged involvement in the asbestos matter.
His court appearance comes ahead of the 9th ANC Free State provincial elective conference, set to elect the new provincial executive committee this week.
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