Durban - Moments before tenderpreneur Shauwn Mpisane stepped into the dock at Durban Regional Court on Friday, a man fluffed up a cushion with the Sharks logo on it for her to sit on, leaving journalists wondering whether she is a rugby fan.
Mpisane, looking resplendent in a turquoise and yellow dress, carried a matching yellow handbag with her into the dock as her family and friends packed the public gallery.
Mpisane, who has pleaded not guilty to 119 charges of defrauding the tax man of R4.7 million by allegedly inflating invoices and of contravening the Close Corporations Act by remaining the sole member of her company Zikhulise Cleaning Maintenance and Transport after being convicted of fraud, had fresh charges of corruption and defeating the course of justice opened against her at Pinetown Magistrate’s Court last week, delaying the start of her trial.
State attorney Meera Naidu, in opposing an application by Mpisane’s attorney Phila Magwaza, which had asked the court to order the trial to proceed on existing charges against her, said Mpisane had caused the delay by her own actions when days before the trial she allegedly interfered with state witness Nilendra Allopi.
It is alleged she asked him to tamper with invoices that were a crucial part of the evidence. She had allegedly also guaranteed to give him design work at a development in Umlazi.
Naidu, who was reading the affidavit of investigating officer Johan Prinsloo, said after investigating her plea explanation, that the state wanted to add charges based on the same tax invoices that formed crucial evidence in a SARS audit report that had been given to Mpisane on October 3 as well as the Pinetown charges, bringing the charges against her to 131.
In applying for the trial to proceed without the fresh charges, Mpisane’s lawyers had accused the state of “ill-considered, arbitrary and self-serving” decision-making relating to the case.
The matter was adjourned until Monday when Mpisane’s lawyers will respond to the state.
Independent on Saturday