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- Former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli has appeared in court after failing to appear on four earlier occasions.
- Mdluli, who is currently serving a prison sentence for kidnapping and assault, appeared in court on Friday following a warrant of arrest.
- He and his two co-accused, Heine Barnard and Solomon Lazarus, are expected to go on trial later this year on charges related to the looting of the police's secret slush fund.
Former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli has finally appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for the slush fund matter, after failing to appear on four previous occasions.
Mdluli, who is currently incarcerated for the kidnapping and assault of Oupa Ramogibe in 1999, appeared in court on Friday morning following a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Bert Bam.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate, Mdluli had failed to appear in court on several occasions, which resulted in the pre-trial conference being postponed to 6 April.
Mdluli, Heine Barnard and Solomon Lazarus are accused of looting Crime Intelligence's secret slush fund.
READ | Warrant of arrest for Richard Mdluli after he fails to appear in court
They have been charges with multiple counts of fraud, corruption and theft.
During the court appearance on Friday, the ID argued an application to bar Mdluli from creating any additional delays so that he can join his co-accused on trial later this year, the directorate's spokesperson Sindisiwe Twala said.
"Mdluli through his legal representative had stated repeatedly that he intends to apply for funding from the state, because the crimes he faces pertain to when he was still employed by the state," Twala said.
"Arguments to this effect will be heard before Judge Bam on the 6 April, before the matter is postponed to 18 June."
READ | Richard Mdluli and his family of Crime Intelligence agents
News24 previously reported that a scathing indictment detailed how Mdluli allegedly looted the Secret Service Account and made sure that several members of his family were appointed as agents.
According to the indictment, after Mdluli was appointed as a divisional commissioner for Crime Intelligence on 1 July 2009, he handed Lazarus a list of people to be appointed as agents.
The list was entirely made up of people who Mdluli was related to, with the indictment setting out what vehicles were given to the respective agents who had been appointed into the agent programme.
The indictment further alleged that Mdluli took several trips, some of which were allegedly paid for out of the Secret Service account, and not for work purposes.
Mdluli also allegedly claimed back personal expenses incurred, such as perfume and jewellery brought, from the slush fund.
ALSO READ | Mdluli, Barnard and Lazarus corruption indictment alleges a life of sweet rides, jobs and travel
On a trip to China in November 2009, the indictment alleges that R50 000 was secured from the slush fund to purchase an plane ticket for Mdluli.
A further R50 000 in cash was further provided for the purchase of an airline ticket for Mdluli's wife at the time, Agent SA 78.
"Two business class air tickets in the names of Accused 1 [Mdluli] and Agent SA 78 from Johannesburg to Nanjing (China) via Hong Kong, as well as a Gold 1 – 8-day family policy were purchased for a total price of R86 152 from Menlyn Park Flight Centre," the indictment read.
This was not a work trip, as Mdluli had requested leave which was approved. Mdluli allegedly told one of his subordinates that the trip was to visit his daughter, Agent SA 80.
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