Johannesburg - Former correctional services boss Linda Mti is listed as accused number one in a criminal case involving senior Bosasa officials charged with fraud and corruption worth R1.6 billion.
Mti made his second appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning following his arrest on February 7 following damning evidence of former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi led against him in January before the Zondo Commission probing state capture in the country.
He appeared alongside his co-accused Patrick Gillingham - former correctional services chief financial officer; Agrizzi and fellow Bosasa official Andries van Tonder. The four were not asked to plead on the charges against them.
Mti, as he walked into the courtroom accompanied by his legal counsel SW van der Merwe, did not bother to greet Agrizzi or some of his co-accused. As he took his position in the accused box - Mti became engaged in conversation with Gillingham - his erstwhile friend and financial boss in the correctional services.
On Tuesday, State prosecutor Advocate Tebogo Serunye told the court that the State had initially wanted to add three companies Bosasa, Sondolo IT and Phezulu Fencing to the charge sheet. Serunye said they were unable to do so because the status of Bosasa was under scrutiny in the Supreme Court of Appeal where a group of liquidators have appealed against the decision of Bosasa directors to withdraw their application for liquidation in the High Court in Joburg.
Now, the charges against the three companies were put on ice pending the application in the SCA.
The State asked for a postponement until July 5.
On Tuesday, the State told the court that the investigations against two other Bosasa officials, Frans Vorster and Carlos Bonifacio, charged with fraud and corruption, have been completed.
Vorster and Bonifacio appeared separately to the other accused. State prosecutor Adv Sindi Nkula-Nyoni asked their legal representative to present the prosecution with a copy of the hard-drive which contain some of the information which could be used during their trial hearings.
Defence lawyer Manie Witz confirmed that they would cooperate with the State ahead of the two’s next appearance on July 5.