Officials from a Limpopo-based law firm, and employees of the Sekhukhune municipality have appeared in court on charges of money laundering and theft, the National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed.
Responding to a query by IOL, provincial spokesperson of the NPA in Limpopo, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused, who include companies, appeared before the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused are Peter Mdhluli, a senior legal administrative officer, a company named Mdhluli and Trading General Works; Mantwa Vicky Makanyane; another company, Change Strategies Consulting Services CC; Chantel Kgaugelo Letsoalo, an attorney; Letsoalo KC Attorneys; Tshidi Elizabeth Kubuzie; Molefi Kubuzie; and Batheeng Logistics.
Some of the accused are employed by the Sekhukhune municipality and the Sekhukhune Development Agency.
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“All the accused persons are facing the following charges: fraud alternatively theft, money laundering, assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities,” she said.
“Three of the accused, Peter Mdhluli, Tshidi Elizabeth and Mantwa Vicky Makanyane are also facing charges of contravening Section 173 of the Municipal Finance Management Act 56/2003, fraud alternatively theft and money laundering.”
The State alleges that the accused people, acting with common intent and for the furtherance of a common purpose, “manufactured/concocted” a court order and a writ of execution ordering that Sekhukhune Development Agency had breached a contract with KC Letsoalo Attorneys.
“As a result of the misrepresentation, Sekhukhune Development Agency paid an amount of R460,000 to a trust account of KC Letsoalo Attorneys. KC Letsoalo Attorneys then shared the money amounting to R360,000 into the bank accounts of Mdhluli and Trading General Works, Makanyane, Change Strategies Consulting Services CC and Batheeng Logistics,” she said.
During the court appearance on Tuesday, bail was not opposed. The court heard that home addresses of the accused have been verified.
Malabi-Dzhangi added that the accused do not have pending cases or previous convictions.
“The court heard that the accused persons are all employed, not a flight risk, and will not interfere with State witnesses. The defence submitted that interests of justice permits their release on bail,” she said.
As a bail condition, it was also proposed that two of the accused - Mdhluli and Makanyane would also hand over their passports to the investigating officer - should they be granted bail.
The matter was postponed to Wednesday for a ruling on the bail application. All the accused people are in custody.
IOL