Seven accused in Free State asbestos corruption case granted bail
The seven accused in the R255 million Free State asbestos corruption case were granted bail ranging between R50 000 and R500 000 on Friday morning.
Among them count the former MEC for Human Settlements in the Free State and former mayor of the embattled Mangaung Municipality; her former Head of Department (HOD); and a former Director-General of National Department of Human Settlements.
The accused appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on charges of fraud and corruption.
According to the NPA’s Sipho Ngwema, the case relates to, among others, a Gauteng-based company, Blackhead Consultants.
The company was allegedly paid R255-million for work that was never done and made R200-million to manage a subcontracted project in the Free State.
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Ngwema said the state did not oppose bail.
Edwin Sodi, the director of Blackhead, was granted R500,000 bail.
"His co-accused Nthimotse Mokhesi, Head of Department, Free State Human Settlements; Sello Joseph Radebe, a businessman, Thabane Wiseman Zulu, a former Director-General of National Department of Human Settlements; and Sarah Matawana Mlamleli, a former MEC of Human Settlements in FS and a former Mayor of Mangaung were granted R100 000 bail,” said Ngwema.
"Mahlomola John Matlakala, Director Supply Chain Management at the Human Settlement Department, and Abel Kgotso Manyeki, a businessman were released on R50 000.”
All the seven accused had to surrender their passport to the Hawks.
The matter will be back in court on 11 November.