The Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday dismissed two applications for a discharge in the multi-million rand Mangaung fraud and racketeering case.
The applications were filed by lawyers representing five of the accused and some of their businesses.
Former Mangaung mayor Pappie Mokoena and 18 others face a total of 259 charges, including theft and money laundering involving an estimated R130 million. Not all the accused face all the charges.
On Wednesday, Judge A Kruger held it was possible that if some accused had their cases dismissed, they would then be blamed for the crimes by those remaining.
He held it would not be in the interests of justice to create such a possibility for the accused.
The discharge applications were filed on behalf of Heidedal businessmen Keabecoe and Kegomodicoe Lekone; and Givenchy Hoffman, personal assistant to former municipal manager Mojalefa Matlole.
The other two applications were filed for Mokoena's former political advisor Jakes Thithi, and for Mokoena's former secretary Laetitia Hoffman.
The case follows an investigation by the now-disbanded Scorpions into the Mangaung local municipality, which started in 2005.
The other accused include Mokoena's wife Granny, former municipal speaker Zongezile Zumane and former municipal business manager Mzwandile Silwana, his wife Brigitte and Buyelwa Khethelo, a businesswoman from Rocklands, Soweto.
The trial was postponed to October 10. - Sapa