[ad_1]
The National Tax Authority said Sunday that the former personal assistant to the ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, has cooperated with the state and will testify against her former chief.
The NPA was reacting to a report in the City Press newspaper that Moroadi Cholota had said that he had not agreed to testify for the state against Magashule, who appeared in court on November 13 on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
The case relates to the R255m free state asbestos roof removal tender, while Magashule was the province’s prime minister.
While only R21m went to a company that conducted an audit of houses with asbestos roofs in the province, the rest allegedly went to various businessmen, politicians and government officials.
Magashule is one of 13 defendants who were arrested in connection with the asbestos roof case. Others include businessman Edwin Sodi, former Mangaung mayor Olly Mlamleli, and the head of human settlements for the Free State of the Nthimotse Mokhesi department.
City Press said in an email exchange between the Hawks and Cholota, the former AP said it was odd that they had registered her as a witness without prior agreement that she would assist law enforcement authorities.
NPA spokesman Sipho Ngwema said on Sunday that the criminal prosecution will take place in a court and not in the court of “public opinion”.
He said Cholota has cooperated with the state and will testify.
“We observe the attempt to slander the case and create deviations. We will not be attracted to them, ”Ngwema said.
He warned against the execution of criminal proceedings in the court of public opinion.
“There cannot be two parallel processes. I can assure you that we have been in communication with the witness and we are quite satisfied with the fact that she is going to testify and has cooperated with the state. “
Ngwema said that what mattered was what was going to happen in the court of law.
“It is in the interest of other parties to try to cast doubt on our case. We’re pretty sure we have a good case and that case continues.
“There’s a lot of manufacturing going on and we don’t care about this kind of thing,” Ngwema said.
TimesLIVE
[ad_2]
