Malema and crew back in court

Former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema is expected to appear in the Polokwane high court on Tuesday, Limpopo police said.

 

Police would be stationed at Landdros Mare and Thabo Mbeki streets near the high court, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Monday. "We are deploying sufficient police, but we don't foresee any threat," he said. Malema would be making his second appearance on charges of fraud, corruption, money-laundering, and racketeering.

 

He and four others will appear in the high court building as the magistrate's court was gutted by fire last year, nearly a month after their first appearance. Malema is accused of having made nearly R4 million from corrupt activities. He is out on R10,000 bail. His business associates Kagisho Dichabe, Lesiba Gwangwa, Helen Moreroa and Makgetsi Manthata, were granted bail of R40,000 each on September 25 last year. 

 

All four proclaimed their innocence on charges including fraud, corruption and money laundering. The State alleges the four misrepresented themselves to the Limpopo department of roads and transport, leading to a R52 million contract being awarded to one of the accused. According to court papers, Malema had clear business ties with Gwangwa, the director of On-Point Engineering. Malema's Ratanang Family Trust was an indirect shareholder in On-Point.

 

The department paid the company R43m. According to the charge sheet Malema substantially benefited from this payment, using it to buy a farm worth R3.9m and a R382,655 Mercedes-Benz. Malema allegedly did this well-knowing the money formed part of the proceeds of crime.