Ndebele corruption case sent up to High Court

21 July 2016 - 08:53 By SIPHO MABENA

The corruption, fraud and money-laundering case against South Africa's High Commissioner to Australia, former transport minister Sbu Ndebele, is to be transferred to the Pretoria High Court. Specialised Commercial Crimes Court magistrate Nicca Setshogoe yesterday granted the state's application to have Ndebele's case joined to that of his five co-accused, including his former department's director-general, George Mahlalela, and his former deputy, Zakhele Thwala.Ndebele, an ANC national executive committee member, and his co-accused are yet to plead to a total of 15 counts of corruption, fraud and money-laundering in connection with alleged tender irregularities related to the extension of Tasima's contract for the management of the National Traffic Information System (eNatis) at a cost of close to R2-billion.Ndebele alone faces two counts of corruption for allegedly accepting more than R10.2-million in bribes to facilitate the "irregular" extension of the tender.He is also facing charges of money-laundering and of attempting to induce another person to commit an offence.According to the charge sheet, a total of R10.264-million was transferred by Sinosa Construction, one of the companies in the Tasima consortium, into Ndebele's Investec account between October 2010 and September 2012.This was about nine months after the Transport Department had concluded a R49.5-million contract with one of the consortium's business entities.According to the charge sheet Tasima paid for:Tickets for Thwala and his girlfriend, Lebohang Mabilo, to attend Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear live show;An all-expenses-paid weekend at the Pinnacle Point golf estate, in Mossel Bay, for Thwala and Mabilo.Tickets for Mabilo and Thwala's daughter, Lebo, to watch the opening match of the 2010 Soccer World Cup; andFlight tickets between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban in 2010 for Thwala and his daughter, including accommodation...

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