Africa-Press – South-Africa. The slush fund corruption case against former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli has been postponed yet again because of a pending review application challenging the police’s decision not to fund his legal fees.
Mdluli and his two co-accused, former Crime Intelligence supply chain manager Heine Barnard and former chief financial officer Solomon Lazarus, appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
According to the Investigating Directorate (ID), the case was postponed to 11 October so Mdluli could provide an update on the progress of the review application and to give him an opportunity to respond to the pre-trial agenda.
In January this year, the police took a decision that it would not fund Mdluli and his two co-accused’s criminal trial.
This after the three men applied for legal funding as the alleged crimes were committed while in the employment of the police.
The trio have been charged with multiple counts of corruption, fraud and theft relating to the alleged looting of a police slush fund between 2008 and 2012.
Assets worth R13 million belonging to Richard Mdluli and co-accused frozen
The crimes were allegedly committed while they were at the helm of Crime Intelligence and in control of its secret service account, which consisted of funds allocated by National Treasury for the specific purpose of preventing crime and gathering intelligence to combat crime.
According to the court indictment, during his tenure as Crime Intelligence boss, Mdluli took several trips, some of which were allegedly paid for out of the secret fund.
The indictment stated on a trip to China in November 2009, R50 000 was secured from the slush fund to purchase an airplane ticket for Mdluli, and a further R50 000 in cash was provided to buy a ticket for his then wife, who was also allegedly made an agent.
The indictment read:
News24 previously reported Mdluli also allegedly claimed for personal expenses, including accommodation, clothes and electronic goods, as well as expenses for which no proof was provided.
This was not a work trip, as he had requested leave, which was approved.
Mdluli allegedly told one of his subordinates the trip was to visit his daughter, who was also allegedly made an agent.
In addition, several of his family members were made agents and given vehicles and a salary by Crime Intelligence.
Mdluli, Lazarus and Barnard are also accused of using witness protection houses for their personal use, and Mdluli got the state to lease his property as a safe house.
In August, more than a decade after the alleged crimes were committed, the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit successfully froze assets to the tune of R13 million belonging to Mdluli, Barnard and Lazarus.
The effect of the granted court order is that their assets will be administered by a curator, and they will not be able to sell or dispose of them.
ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said the restraint of the assets was premised on what had become known as the slush fund case.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
