Marais sports red for Day 1
2003-11-17 22:14
George - Former Western Cape premier Peter Marais wore a red tie, held in place with a silver clip bearing his initials, for the first day of his trial on corruption charges in the regional court in George.
"It brings out the fight in me," he told a reporter soon after his advocate had entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
Marais and his co-accused, former provincial environment and development MEC David Malatsi, are accused of accepting R400 000 from Italian Count Riccardo Agusta to secure the province's approval for the Roodefontein golf estate development at Plettenberg Bay.
Malatsi on Monday also pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges, as well as counts of fraud and theft, some of which are related to his accommodation claims when he attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg last year.
He claimed R2 000 a day for staying in an ordinary house in Bronkhorstspruit which, according to the charge sheet, was owned by his wife, Julia.
Magistrate shown model of golf estate
The State, represented in court by senior Scorpions prosecutor Bruce Morrison, also alleges that at the end of last year Malatsi stole R31 900 from the Khayelitsha branch of the New National Party, which he chaired.
Immediately after hearing the pleas, the court held an on-site inspection at Roodefontein, in a secluded valley a short distance from Plettenberg Bay's landmark Robberg peninsula.
There, environmental consultant Cathy Avierinos showed magistrate André le Grange a scale model of the proposed R500m development, which includes a golf driving range, luxury hotel and equestrian centre.
She told how the two men, together with Agusta, were taken on a helicopter flip over the site before they enjoyed a spaghetti dinner together.
She said she did not go on the helicopter. "There were too many bodyguards," she said.
"They were Malatsi's, not mine," protested Marais.
Drove through collection of shacks
After the visit to Roodefontein, Malatsi's advocate, Pete Mihalik, asked Le Grange to visit a poverty- stricken settlement in the area as well.
After leading the convoy of cars on an apparently unintentional circular tour of one of the wealthier residential areas of Plettenberg Bay, Mihalik found a collection of shacks to drive through.
Agusta claimed at the beginning of this year that the "donation" to the NNP was "an effort to lessen the plight of destitute people".
Last month, however, he admitted he "unlawfully and corruptly" handed over the money, and in a plea bargain with the Scorpions agreed to pay a R1m fine.
At the time, Marais was leader of the NNP in the Western Cape.
He has since quit the party to form the New Labour Party. Malatsi has been suspended by the NNP.
The hearing resumes on Tuesday, when consultant Avierinos is expected to take the stand as first witness in the trial.
- SAPA