Winnie's trial on hold - again
2003-02-24 10:22
Pretoria - Another accident has delayed the fraud and theft trial of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela which was to have resumed in the Pretoria Regional Court on Monday.
Her co-accused, broker Addy Moolman, had been in a car accident and was still in hospital, prosecutor Jan Ferreira told magistrate Peet Johnson.
In October last year the trial was postponed because Madikizela-Mandela, president of the African National Congress Women's' League, had broken her foot.
The trial might resume on Wednesday or Thursday this week depending on Moolman's condition.
Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of former president Nelson Mandela, and Moolman have both pleaded not guilty to 60 charges of fraud and 25 of theft involving an amount of R942 360.
The State alleges that letters with the women's' league letterheads, bearing Madikizela-Mandela's signature, were used to fraudulently obtain loans from Saambou Bank in the names of bogus league employees, including her daughter Zinzi and former personal banker, Dikeledi Seakamela.
The 25 theft charges relate to amounts of R360 which were deducted from each loan applicants' bank accounts for a funeral policy that allegedly did not exist.
- SAPA