Former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli didn’t attend the court proceedings at the Pretoria High Court due to medical reasons on Monday.
Mdluli’s legal team divulged the medical reasons to the judge but it was not made public.
His co-accused, Crime Intelligence chief financial officer Solomon Lazarus and erstwhile supply chain manager Heine Barnard, did appear briefly on multiple counts of fraud, corruption, theft and defeating the administration of justice.
It’s the first time Mdluli and his co-accused appear in the High Court after the case was moved there from the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for trial.
Mdluli, Lazarus and Barnard face multiple counts of fraud, corruption, theft and defeating the administration of justice.
The case relates to how the fund was allegedly used to purchase vehicles for Mdluli and the others, as well as funding his travel expenses to China and Singapore.
A spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate, Sindisiwe Twala, says the new date for a pre-trail was set for 19 February and be open to the public but the accused won’t attend. The trial will start on March 4.
The video below the sentencing of Richard Mdluli in another case:
