Mdluli case dropped– for a while

The Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria yesterday struck from the roll fraud and corruption charges against former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli – but this could prove a temporary reprieve, as the police investigation against Mdluli would continue.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said the court scrapped the case because the police investigation had not yet been completed. But it noted that the case was likely to be reinstated once the probe is completed.

“The matter was struck off due to outstanding investigations but even the magistrate said that it would be reinstated once the investigation is completed,” Mfaku said.

Mdluli has faced fraud charges relating to the alleged abuse of the police’s Crime Intelligence Division’s slush fund. It was alleged that along with CID finance chief Solly Lazarus, Mdluli had sanctioned the use of millions of rands for private ends.

In 2012, he was reinstated as the head of the CID after the NPA dropped the charges, amid reports that the prosecuting authority and the office of the inspector general of intelligence had bowed to political pressure to let Mdluli off the hook.

Around that time, then acting national Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told a parliamentary portfolio committee he had been under duress not to pursue certain politically sensitive cases and had been told to “release some case dockets to the inspector-general for intelligence”.

This appeared to be a reference to the charges against General Mdluli.

In March this year the NPA reinstated the charges. – ANA

The matter was struck from the roll because the probe has not yet been completed Luvuyo Mfaku NPA spokesperson