Cape Town - A court interpreter has been charged with corruption after she allegedly asked for a bribe.
Nomvuyo Dyosi is accused of asking the sister of an accused to pay the presiding officer, a Mr Nkambule, R30 000 so her brother could get bail.
Zimasa Ntsodo’s brother, Lennox, was one of the people accused of illegally selling plots in Mfuleni last year.
He was arrested along with council workers and charged with fraud. On the day he appeared for a bail application, Lennox Ntsodo showed up in court with bruises.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “Ntsodo’s sister, Zimasa, attended her brother’s bail application, noticed he had been assaulted and became very worried about his condition.
“Dyosi approached the sister and asked her to buy ‘sweets’ for the magistrate to rescue her brother from being assaulted in prison. The sister asked what the ‘sweets’ she was referring to were, and the accused replied that a payment must be made so she (Dyosi) could give the money to the magistrate for her brother to get bail.
“The sister told the accused she needed to consult her brother and they exchanged numbers. The accused later told the sister the magistrate wanted R30 000 for Lennox to be released on bail. The sister told the accused they could not afford that … The accused later said the magistrate had reduced the amount to R10 000. The sister handed the money to the accused.”
Lennox Ntsodo was granted R5 000 bail five days later and his sister paid.
“After his release on bail, the accused contacted him and his sister demanding the outstanding R20 000.”
A family member of the siblings, a cleaner at the court, approached Nkambule in chambers and informed him about the allegations against him.
“The magistrate denied the accusations against him and immediately reported the matter to the police.”
The case was postponed to June 19.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za
Cape Argus