Cut blacks out R30m graft case
01/04/2008 17:23  - (SA)  

R30m corruption trial delayed Mpuma corruption trial resumes Mpumalanga fraud under scrutiny Mpuma wants its R3.6m back Mpumalanga VIP has to cough up Mpuma 'ignored own legal team'

Walter Ka Nkosi

Nelspruit - A R30m fraud-and-corruption case against former Mpumalanga director-general advocate Stanley Soko was postponed in Nelspruit Regional Court on Tuesday because of load shedding.

The case was held over until Wednesday when a date would be set for the trial to resume. The power in Nelspruit city centre was cut from about 08:30 to 11:00.

Soko and his co-accused, axed Mpumalanga Economic Empowerment Corporation (MEEC) chief executive Ernest Khosa were both in court on Tuesday.

The trial had been delayed because Khosa had to undergo surgery on February 5 and then a medical assessment to ensure that he was fit for trial.

The trial is expected to resume with testimony about how the two men allegedly forced government contractors to meet them in car parks and dark streets to pay massive cash bribes.

Also facing 48 fraud charges

Both men were fired from their jobs when the scandal broke, and have been charged with corruption, fraud, and contravention of both the Public Service Management Act and the Organised Crime Act.

They have pleaded not guilty and Soko is out on bail of R20 000 while Khosa is out on R50 000 bail.

Khosa is facing a second corruption case in Pretoria Regional Court where he is charged with 48 counts of fraud relating to the abuse of MEEC resources.

What is this?    Yahoo    Digg  Del.icio.us  Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance News24 on mobile News24 on facebook profile