Former Crime Intelligence Head Richard Mdluli; former supply chain manager Heine Barnard; and former chief financial officer of the State Security Agency, Solomon Lazarus, are waiting for legal funding.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has not yet made a decision whether or not to fund Mdluli’s criminal trial and his two co-accused.
The High Court of South Africa: Gauteng Division, Pretoria, yesterday postponed the corruption matter involving Mdluli, Barnard and Lazarus to November 23 for the police services to decide on whether to fund the accuseds’ legal fees.
The Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said Mdluli and his co-accused face charges of corruption, fraud and theft which were committed between 2008 and 2012 when they were at the helm of the police crime intelligence services.
“The charges are related to allegations of gross abuse of the police intelligence slush fund. They include payment of private trips to China and Singapore, private use of witness protection houses, conversion of this property for personal use and the leasing out of Mdluli’s private residence to the state in order to pay his bond, among others,” Seboka said.
At the last court case they were not present due to Covid-19 related issues. Mdluli is still awaiting feedback for state funding. Barnard and Lazarus have also applied to the state for legal funding.
Earlier this year, Mdluli launched an application for the state to foot the bill as the charges against him stem from the time that he was employed with the state.
Political Bureau