Kimberley - Former ANC provincial chairperson John Block and the CEO of the Trifecta group of companies, Christo Scholtz, have filed their application for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
They were granted an extension of their bail last month of R50 000, in addition to the R150 000 that they had already paid for bail.
Block and Scholtz were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each after they were found guilty of corruption and money laundering in the Northern Cape High Court in 2016, where kickbacks were paid over for leases that were concluded for government offices with Trifecta.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said on Wednesday that they would file answering affidavits within the next 10 days to motivate why the Constitutional Court should dismiss the application.
“If the Constitutional Court is willing to grant the application they will ask for further particulars and may call the parties to make presentations. However, if they cannot find sufficient grounds for the case to be heard, where they believe the Northern Cape High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal has adequately dealt with the matter, the application will be dismissed. The Constitutional Court will then inform the registrar of the Northern Cape High Court to issue a detention warrant informing the appellants when they should present themselves at a Correctional Services facility. They will also inform the police of the outcome of matter. Should they fail to present themselves, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.”
Shuping stated that up until the outcome of the Constitutional Court ruling, Block and Scholtz would be permitted to travel abroad provided that they obtained permission from the investigating officer, who is in possession of their passports.
“Should the Constitutional Court dismiss the application they will be compelled to return to South Africa if they happen to be abroad.”