LAWMAN USED CAR TO COVER UP ’ BRIBE
Witness denies R150 000 exchanged was to buy vehicle
A MAN accusing a Midrand magistrate of taking a bribe said he knows nothing about the car the lawman said he sold to him.
Magistrate Johannes Kgomo is facing two charges of corruption in the Johannesburg Magistrate ’ s Court after allegedly soliciting a bribe of R500 000 from Paul Mthabela.
Mthabela has said he asked Kgomo to negotiate a deal between him and the magistrate presiding over his extradition matter.
Mthabela is wanted in Botswana for allegedly defrauding the government medical aid scheme of R17-million.
Mthabela was unhappy when the court ordered he be extradited and went to the Hawks, who then arrested Kgomo in a sting operation.
Kgomo previously told the court that the R150 000 Mthabela brought to him was for the sale of a BMW.
Mthabela returned to the witness box yesterday after a trial within a trial over the admissibility of certain evidence was concluded.
Magistrate Albertus Roux admitted the evidence despite argu- ments from the defence that the state had obtained it “improperly ” and under improper authorisation.
Mthabela told the court that on the day of Kgomo ’ s arrest, he met Kgomo in his office at the Midrand Magistrate ’ s Court.
Mthabela said he had a bank bag containing R150 000 from the Hawks in his possession.
He said he used Kgomo ’ s phone to speak to the magistrate who had presided over his extradition matter and confirmed that he had indeed asked for the money.
“The accused said for him to cover himself he was going to draft a contract to sell me a car so he wouldn ’ t be arrested,” Mthabela said. “We had never spoken about a car; that was the first time he mentioned a car.”
Mthabela said after he left Kgomo ’ s office, he signalled to the police that the money had been exchanged and they went in to arrest Kgomo.
Lucky Shabangu, who was part of the 1990s hit music group Twins with his twin Nhlanhla Shabangu and two other members, was also in court yesterday.
Shabangu is friends with Mthabela and Kgomo and said he was there to provide support but would not comment further.
The trial continues.