Mti set free on bail of R20 000
FORMER Correctional Services boss Linda Mti, who allegedly facilitated the payment of more than R1.6 billion to Bosasa in fraudulent tenders, will stand in the accused box next month alongside Angelo Agrizzi, who blew the whistle on him.
Yesterday the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) added Mti as the sixth accused person among those who will be facing trial for offences which were uncovered during the hearings since last month into state capture, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
The seventh suspect, believed to be in the US, is due to be flown back to join his co-accused: Agrizzi; Mti; former Correctional Services chief financial officer Patrick Gillingham; Bosasa official Andries van Tonder; former senior manager Frans Vorster; and incumbent employee Carlos Bonifacio.
The State is due to officially add the names of three companies in the charge sheet along with the accused during their appearance on March 27.
Mti made a lone appearance yesterday, after spending almost two hours in official arrest procedures before his appearance in the Pretoria Special Commercial Crimes Court.
He was charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and corruption.
Yesterday the NPA added Mti as the sixth accused person among those to face trial for offences uncovered during the hearings into state capture
He was not asked to plead.
Mti arrived in court just after 1pm. Dressed elegantly as always, he walked slowly to court 19 accompanied by his legal representative and some of the Hawks investigators.
Inside court, Mti had to initial his sworn affidavit as required of any accused person facing a Schedule 5 offence – which required him to give finer details which would allow him, without any opposition, to be released on bail.
Mti, through his legal counsel, SW van der Merwe, told the court that he was married and had immovable property worth R5 million.
He also told the court that he had movable property in excess of R1m.
Mti admitted that he had a previous conviction of drunken driving in 2009, when he paid a fine of R20 000.
Van der Merwe did not reveal details of his client’s Schedule5 application, as the State had already indicated that they had no difficulties in granting him bail.
After his brief appearance, which lasted just over 10 minutes, Mti was escorted back to the holding cells, while his lawyer drove to the Pretoria magistrate’s court a few metres away to pay for his bail of R20 000.
Van Der Merwe managed to pay for bail soon after the magistrate’s court opened after lunch.