Mpisane awaits bail decision

DURBAN 19102012 Shawn Mpisane , Pinetown Mag Court. PICTURE: Jacques Naude

DURBAN 19102012 Shawn Mpisane , Pinetown Mag Court. PICTURE: Jacques Naude

Published Feb 8, 2013

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Johannesburg - Businesswoman Shauwn Mpisane will hear on Friday whether she has been granted bail by the Durban Commercial Crimes Court.

On Thursday, she said she intended pleading not guilty to 53 charges of fraud and forgery.

She is accused of submitting false documents to obtain Construction Industry Development Board gradings, which were then used to obtain Public Works Department tenders worth R140-million.

Mpisane has accused the state of repeatedly “investigating the same issues and bringing up new charges based on similar facts”.

She said the R140-million related to five tenders. One of these was a R69-million tender where no payment was made and no work started. Therefore, nobody had suffered a loss.

Earlier this week, the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized her property and 51 cars.

Prosecutor Joanne Bromley-Gans said the state opposed granting Mpisane bail as she was already out on bail when some of the alleged offences were committed.

She alleged that Mpisane had interfered with a witness in another matter.

Mpisane will also stand trial in May, on accusations that she inflated invoices by more than R5-million to cut her tax bill.

Magistrate Gerrie Maree said that although his decision on bail would be made only on Friday, he would allow Mpisane to spend Thursday night at home as the state had conceded she was not a flight risk and had handed herself over to the police. - Sapa

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