Johannesburg - Millions of rand from EFF leader Julius Malema’s auctioned farm will be allocated to fight large corruption cases.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced on Wednesday that R2.4 million had been deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery account on Friday.
Malema’s R4m Schuilkraal farm in Polokwane was sold to farmer Callie Calitz for R2.5m by Park Village Auctions in June 2013.
This was after the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit had obtained a forfeiture order in the high court in Pretoria.
The NPA believed that the farm had been bought from proceeds of crime.
The NPA’s application for a forfeiture order stemmed from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report in 2012 that found a R52m tender awarded to On-Point Engineering company by the Limpopo government was illegal.
NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said neither Lesiba Cuthbert Gwangwa, the chief executive of On-Point Engineering, in which Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust held shares, nor Malema had opposed the court application in 2013.
“The court found that the property was acquired with the proceeds of fraud and/or corruption and/or theft and/or money laundering perpetrated against the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport.”
On Wednesday, Malema refused to comment. But early this month, after the fraud and corruption charges against him were struck off the roll by the high court in Polokwane, he said he would await his lawyers’ advice about whether he had any recourse.
Charges against Gwangwa and former On-Point Engineering chief executive Kagisho Dichabe, who had been charged alongside Malema, were also struck off the roll. The trio’s criminal charges emanated from Madonsela’s 2012 report.
The Star