Pretoria - The corruption case against former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli has been postponed to May 11, 2022.
Mdluli and his two co-accused, former SAPS supply chain manager Heine Barnard, as well as chief financial officer Solomon Lazarus, appeared briefly in the North Gauteng High Court of Wednesday.
The trio are face charges of corruption, fraud and theft.
The charges against them stem from the time that they were employed by the state – between 2008 and 2012 – and were at the helm of the police crime intelligence services.
All three accused face charges related to the alleged abuse of the police’s secret slush fund. The allegations include the payment of private trips to China and Singapore, the private use of witness protection houses and the leasing of Mdluli’s private residence to the state in order to pay his bond.
Among others, it is claimed in the indictment that during one of Mdluli’s trips to Singapore in 2009, he allegedly used some of the funds for personal expenses. It is claimed that he bought electronic equipment, clothing, jewellery and perfume, using state funds.
A further allegation is that a month prior to the Singapore trip, Mdluli booked a holiday for himself and his wife to China, flying business class, at taxpayers’ expense.
Before the trial in 2021, Mdluli and his co-accused brought an application demanding that the SAPS pay for their legal costs as they were employed by police when the charges were laid.
Their application was unsuccessful.
Wednesday’s delay comes at Mdluli’s request, as he wants to try to review the SAPS decision not to foot his legal bills.
The Citizen reported that the state brought an application in terms of section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act for unreasonable delay in the trial from Mdluli’s legal team.
The publication further cited the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigative Directorate (ID), saying Mdluli had not filled his responses to the section 342A application.
The State is of the view that Mdluli is deliberately delaying the trial.
The 342A application is expected to be heard on May 11.
Mdluli, who is in custody, is already serving a five-year jail term for the assault and kidnapping of Oupa Ramogibe in 1998.
Ramogibe used to date Mdluli’s lover, Tshidi Buthelezi.
Ramogibe was shot in 1999, and no one was ever convicted of his murder. Mdluli has been accused of sabotaging the investigation. Buthelezi also died in 2003 after an illness.
IOL