Thirty-three people appeared at the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court yesterday following their arrest by the Hawks last weekend.
The accused are facing charges of corruption, fraud, and money laundering. Today, five additional individuals were charged and appeared before Magistrate Patrick Morris.
During the court proceedings, the prosecutor, Pranisha Jagganeth, informed the court that one of the accused was unwell. Another accused is wheelchair-bound and requires 24-hour medical attention. A third accused, who is a government employee, has a baby and is breastfeeding. Prosecutor Jagganeth requested the court to prioritise the bail application of the three accused and a total of five accused persons were granted bail.
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The magistrate granted the wheelchair-bound accused bail of R5,000, while one service provider was granted bail of R50 000. The State submitted that bail should be set at R50 000. “The accused will not forfeit their bail provided that they appear in court until the matter is finalised,” said Jagganeth.
Magistrate Morris stated that the accused are facing a Schedule 5 offence, which means they must remain in custody until the court decides otherwise.
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“It will be in the interest of justice to consider those who require medical attention, including the wheelchair-bound accused,” the magistrate told the court. Bail hearings will continue this morning.
On Sunday, February 22, the Hawks arrested government officials and service providers involved in the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s flawed tender worth R114 million during a blitz operation. 21 suspects were arrested in the province, four suspects arrested in Gauteng, one suspect arrested in Limpopo and one suspect arrested in the Western Cape.
