The charges against Ace Magashule

ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule appeared before Bloemfontein Magistrates Court in connection with corruption charges related to an asbestos contract during his tenure as Prime Minister of the Free State.

Below is the statement from the National Tax Authority dealing with the charges against Magashule:

Former Prime Minister of the Free State Sekgobelo Elias “Ace” Magashule (61) was released on bail of 200,000 rand after briefly appearing in Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on 21 counts of corruption and fraud, alternately robbery and laundering. of money.

The matter was postponed until February 19, 2021 to add at least three more defendants to the charge sheet and to join Magashule with the rest of the defendants. He was ordered to surrender his passport, he must inform the investigation team if he wishes to travel abroad and not be in contact with any witnesses, in particular his former secretary, Moroadi Cholota. In this sense, you may not, directly or through third parties, establish contact with her.

This follows the emergence of Johannesburg businessman and owner of Blackhead Consulting (Pty), Pheagane Edwin Sodi (47), head of the Free State Human Settlements department (FSDoHS), Nthimotse Mokhesi (61); Director of Supply Chain Management at FSDoHS, Mahlomola John Matlakala (42); Fourways businessman, Seal Joseph Radebe (56); Pretoria businessman Abel Kgotso Manyeki (38); the former Director General of the National Department of Human Settlements, Thabane Wiseman Zulu (53); and a former MEC of the Free State for Human Settlements and former mayor of Mangaung, Sarah Matawana Mlamleli (63).

The seven were also arrested by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the Hawks, in the Free State, Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng. This follows an investigation that was initiated by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) that referred the matter to the NPA and the Hawks.

FSDoHS is alleged to have made various payments to Diamond Hill Trading 71-Blackhead JV of which Phikolomzi Mpambani and Sodi owned the account. This is after Mokhesi appointed the company as a service provider in a contract of R255,000,000.00. Mpambani was assassinated in Johannesburg in 2017.

It is alleged that in August 2015, Magashule corruptly accepted the gratuity of R 53 550-00, paid in his application for the tuition fees of the daughter of a sitting judge in Mpambani. It is further alleged that in June 2015 Magashule, accepted the payment of R 470 000-00, paid at its request to M – TAG Systems for the acquisition of 200 electronic tablets from Mpambani.

Furthermore, it is alleged that in June 2015 Magashule accepted a payment of R 30 000-00, paid on its request to SWC Nkate de Mpambani. Between November 2015 and January 2016, Mpambani made a payment of 250,000-00 rand, at his request, to Astra Travel for the travel expenses of a delegation to Cuba.
It is further alleged that Magashule did not report corrupt transactions in contravention of Law 12 of 2004 for the prevention and fight against corrupt activities.

This is part of a criminal investigation by Free State members of the Hawks, the DPP’s Free State Office, and other NPAs such as SCCU and AFU into fraud allegations worth R255 million that were committed in the appointment of Blackhead. Consultants. for the “evaluation and removal of asbestos roofs and / or dwellings”.

The investigations are complete not only for Mgashule but also for the 13 defendants. We expect at least three more suspects to be arrested and added to the charge. At the next court appearance, the matter will be transferred to Superior Court because investigations are done and we are ready for trial.

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