Suspended ANC secretary general Ace Magashule is heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to challenge the judgement by the Free State High Court which dismissed his application to have the asbestos corruption charges against him dropped.
Judge Soma Naidoo dismissed all the applications by the accused to have the charges dropped with costs. Magashule said he intends to approach the SCA to appeal the judgement and order by the High Court.
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Carl Niehaus, a close ally of Magashule, on Monday said, “I can confirm that the secretary-general of the ANC did appeal the decision that was taken by the High Court in Mangaung to the Supreme Court of Appeal.”
Magashule, Edwin Sodi and their co-accused are facing charges of fraud, corruption, theft, and money laundering in relation to the R255 million contract for the removal of the asbestos from the roofs and houses in the Free State. The allegations stem from the time Magashule was still the premier of the Free State.
The state alleged that in 2014 the contract was issued to two companies who were expected to do the work. The subcontracted companies were paid R21 million to do the work and the work was not completed. The rest of the money was allegedly pocketed by the accused suspects. Sodi’s company, Blackhead Consulting, was one of the beneficiaries who were awarded the contract for the asbestos project.
Source: News24, Jacaranda FM, image from Jacaranda FM
