Malema case struck off the roll

03/08/2015 A very confident Julius Malema jokes with members of the media as he arrives inside the court room at North Gauteng High court sitting in Polokwane to face corruption charges. Picture: Phill Magakoe

03/08/2015 A very confident Julius Malema jokes with members of the media as he arrives inside the court room at North Gauteng High court sitting in Polokwane to face corruption charges. Picture: Phill Magakoe

Published Aug 4, 2015

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Polokwane - A judge struck the corruption case against EFF leader Julius Malema off the roll on Tuesday, saying that he had waited too long for the trial.

 Malema and his two co-accused, On-Point Engineering directors Lesiba Gwangwa and Kagiso Dichabe, had been facing charges of racketeering and 52 other counts, including fraud.

On Monday the case was postponed to Tuesday after the defence team for Dichabe told the court that their client was in hospital and would seek a separate trial.

The court heard that Dichabe has been in hospital since last month.

In March 2014, corruption charges against Malema’s business associates, Selbie Manthatha, his wife, Helen Moreroa, and his brother, Makgetsi Manthatha, were dismissed.

The three were initially charged along with Malema, Gwangwa and Dichabe in September 2012.

They were accused of misrepresenting themselves to the Limpopo Roads and Transport Department, leading to a R52 million contract being awarded to On-Point Engineering.

In court papers, it was alleged that Malema had business ties with Gwangwa and that Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust was an indirect shareholder in On-Point.

The State alleged that Malema substantially benefited from the tender payment to On-Point, using it to buy a farm and a Mercedes-Benz.

Malema has maintained that the charges against him are politically motivated and form part of a plot against him by ruling ANC leaders.

If Malema had been convicted, he would have lost his seat in Parliament.

Reuters and ANA

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