Block, Scholtz going to prison

COURT: EX-ANC MAN, BUSINESSPERSON’S APPLICATION FOR LEAVE TO APPEAL THROWN OUT

NPA issues an order for the men to hand themselves over.

Former Northern Cape ANC chair John Block is on his way to jail, after the Constitutional Court dismissed his and businessperson Christo Scholtz’s application for leave to appeal their conviction and sentence for fraud.

Block and Scholtz were convicted and sentenced in 2016 by the High Court in Kimberley to 15 years in prison for corruption and money laundering.

Block, a former Northern Cape finance MEC, first lost his appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal in August. He, along with Scholtz, chief executive of Trifecta Group, and several other companies in which the two had interests, were found guilty of involvement in kickbacks that were made to influence the awarding of leases to Trifecta for government offices across the province between May 2006 and August 2008.

They inflated prices on the lease agreements between themselves and the Northern Cape department of social development.

Following his guilty verdict, Block resigned as ANC chair and MEC. A R2 million forfeiture order was made against him, while an order of R53 million was made against Scholtz and Trifecta.

The high court in its judgment found Block had unduly benefitted by using his influence as a senior politician in the province to ensure the leases were granted to Trifecta, without the necessary protocols being adhered to. In return, he was found to have received R228 000 and R500 000.

The appellate court said it had “exhaustively analysed the evidence relating to these particular counts and held that the amounts of R228 000 and R500 000 were corrupt gratifications ...”

The payments related only to two buildings, The Kimberlite Hotel and the NCTC building.

The appellate dismissed Block’s claim that he couldn’t be convicted since the payments were only made after the contracts had been concluded. Scholtz’s conviction relating to the two buildings was

lightly with regard to six other leases.

The ConCourt on Monday also found that there were no reasonable prospects for Block and Scholtz’s application to succeed.–