Africa-Press – South-Africa. The former head of supply chain for the police, who is accused of fraud and plotting to kill people investigating him, has been denied bail.
Brigadier James Ramanjalum was denied bail in the Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Ramanjalum is a former police manager within the national supply chain.
He faces corruption charges alongside 14 other people in connection with a R1.9 million police personal protective equipment procurement case.
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Ramanjalum was denied bail after the Investigating Directorate’s lead prosecutor told the court he was found in possession of witnesses’ personal information when he was arrested.
He had also allegedly plotted to kill investigators and the prosecution lead, according to the National Prosecuting Authority’s national spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka.
Ramanjalum is also implicated in fraud and corruption charges related to former police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane.
In that case, the accused faced 392 charges, including fraud, corruption, theft and money laundering related to the R191 million tender to fit 1 500 police vehicles with blue lights.
His co-accused businessman, Kishene Chetty, was granted bail of R250 000 under strict conditions.
Chetty was granted bail on condition he hand over all his passports to the investigating officer and report to the Midrand police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 08:00 and 20:00.
He is also not allowed to leave Gauteng without informing the police officer working on his case.
Chetty was also ordered to not go within a radius of 500m of South Africa’s borders or leave the country until his case is finalised.
The court also ordered him not to contact Kineil Muthray or anyone employed by Muthray and Associates.
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The other accused – businessperson Lorette Joubert, Kumarasen Prithiviraj, Volan Prithiviraj, former employee of the suppliers Maricha Joubert, former police officers Ramahlapi Mokwena, Lesetja Mogotlane, Veeran Naipal, Alpheus Makhetha and Kysamula Mabasa and police clerk Marcell Marne – were each granted bail of R20 000 in February.
Ramanjalum and Chetty face charges of theft, fraud, forgery and corruption.
In February, the group was arrested on allegations of having caused a supplier to unduly benefit from the procurement of latex gloves in April 2020 for the police.
The arrests followed an investigation into the capture of the police procurement and supply chain to aid front companies to score lucrative contracts and facilitate kickbacks to senior officials, Seboka said.
The case will be back in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
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