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- Seven people charged with bid fraud involving a R45 million Lepelle Northern Water board contract have been released on bail.
- The former executive director of the board is among those charged.
- The State, which initially opposed the bail, reversed its position due to the Covid-19 security measures.
Former Lepelle Northern Water board executive director Phineas Legodi and six co-defendants were released on bail Monday after appearing before the Polokwane Magistrates Court in Limpopo on various counts of fraud and theft.
Legodi appeared alongside Matome Sefalafala, Ngwako Moseamedi, Gumani Ngangashe, Vusi Mhlongo, and Mpho Chokolo.
The other defendant is a legal entity known as Falaz General Trading and Construction (Pty) Ltd, owned by Sefalafala, which also faces 16 counts of forgery for allegedly presenting invalid documents for a granted tender.
The matter relates to the award of a multi-million rand waste management contract.
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The state, represented by lead attorney Dalton Tshinyeni, initially objected to bail after all the defendants were arrested last week.
But on Monday, the state turned upside down, arguing that three of the defendants came into contact with people who were positive for Covid-19 and putting them into custody will go against the government’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
This was also emphasized by the provincial spokesman for the National Tax Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, outside the court. “The State could not oppose the bail because some of the defendants were in contact with people who are [Covid-19] positive.”
He said this matter was brought to the attention of the NPA when one of the defendants declared to be Covid-19 positive when he was charged last week.
Judge J Abrams granted all the defendants bail ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 rand. Bail conditions include showing up at local police stations five days a week, handing over passports, and not interfering with witnesses.
