Malema charges could be re-instituted: NPA

”This is not an acquittal, it is not a verdict as the judge stipulated. The matter was just struck off the roll…possibilities are that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with jurisdiction can be approached to issue a certificate to reinstate the matter,” said NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku.

Mfaku could not indicate when the matter would be reinstated.

On Tuesday, Judge George Motlhe said that the trial was taking too long which prejudiced the accused who were in court and were ready to proceed. He ordered that the accused be refunded their bail money.

The trial dated back to 2012 when the three were arrested and charged. Malema was granted R10,000 bail, while Lesiba Gwangwa and Kagiso Dichabe were out on bail of R40,000 each.

They faced more than 50 charges of corruption and racketeering. Dichabe was absent from the court proceedings. The court heard on Tuesday that he was suffering from depression, and his defence counsel had applied to have the matter postponed.

Malema, though, wanted to be tried separately following Dichabe’s absence ”to prevent the delay of justice” The State opposed Malema’s application.

The State alleges that Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust benefited from the irregular awarding of a tender to On Point Engineering.

Malema, Gwangwa and Dichabe were accused of irregularities and misrepresenting themselves to the Limpopo roads and transport department which saw the company being awarded a multi-million rand tender.

(File photo: Gallo Images)