Johannesburg - Former Transnet Board member and alleged Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma will on Tuesday afternoon know whether he is bail will be approved or not.
This comes as the High Court in Bloemfontein postponed the matter concerning Sharma’s bail appeal earlier this morning to 2pm.
Judge Joseph Mhlambi is expected to preside over the matter, which will be held virtually.
Sharma was denied bail last month by the Bloemfontein Regional Court.
He is among 16 other co-accused persons and companies who stand in the dock for defrauding the Free State Agriculture Department in 2011 of R25 million.
The Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said four of Sharma’s co-accused, currently in South Africa, were granted bail last month.
They are former Free State Agriculture and Rural Development (FSDoARD) head, Peter Thabethe; former head of FSDoA, Limakatso Moorosi; former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini and Sharma’s brother-in-law, Dinesh Patel.
“The matter pertains to allegations of fraud in connection with the R25 million feasibility study contract that was irregularly granted to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD in 2011, a company owned and controlled by Sharma. The company had to provide a report to the department within seven months,” Seboka said.
She said Nulane, however, subcontracted the work to Deloitte Consulting Pty Ltd for R1.5 million.
Furthermore, it subcontracted the work already completed by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid them over R19 million.
Seboka said the accused face charges of fraud and money laundering. The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za
Political Bureau