The fraud and corruption trial of the former State Security Agency Minister Bongani Bongo and 11 co-accused is expected to resume in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in Mpumalanga.
The trial couldn’t start last week after one of the accused changed a lawyer, who requested further documents to prepare for the case.
The accused are facing 69 charges that include fraud, theft, corruption and the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
Bongo was the head of the Human Settlements Department’s Legal Section at the time.
It is alleged that the accused inflated the value of two farms purchased on behalf of the eMalahleni and Msugalikwa local municipalities and that the farms were purchased and resold to government in minutes.
In one farm, the provincial Human Settlement Department paid R37.5 million but the owner only received R15 million.
It is alleged that the balance was transferred to a trust account controlled by one of the accused.
According to the state, Bongo received gratification of more than R1 million which was allegedly transferred into his wife’s business account, while other monies were used as a deposit of two vehicles which were registered in his brother’s name.
Bongo has maintained his innocence, claiming that the charges are politically motivated.
The report below is on Bongo’s trial being postponed to November 16:
