Mapu corruption case postponed to October:
Former Nelson Mandela Bay acting municipal manager Mvuleni Mapu will have to wait until October to find out if the state will be ready to proceed with corruption charges against him.
While Mapu wants the matter finalised as quickly as possible, state advocate Wilhelm de Villiers said the prosecution needed more time to decide if further charges would be added, or if more people would be charged in the matter.
In the interim, De Villiers said he would furnish Mapu’s lawyer, Danie Gouws, with copies of the docket so that he could take instructions and prepare for trial.
Gouws said he had only received a portion of the docket to date.
De Villiers said he would furnish him with the entire docket as soon as possible.
Mapu and Gqeberha businesswoman Bulelwa NtangaMkwakwi were arrested in August on charges of corruption and fraud.
They are out on bail of R20,000 each, coupled with strict conditions.
Appearing in the Commercial Crimes Court in Gqeberha yesterday, De Villiers asked for the matter to be postponed to October 11.
The charges relate to a R900,000 bribe allegedly paid to Mapu in connection with a R12m housing tender for a Wells Estate project awarded to the businesswoman’s company. Mapu said he would plead not guilty to the charges.
Gouws called the state out on the delays, labelling it a malicious prosecution.
Gouws said there had been numerous unnecessary delays and that the prosecution now needed to either place the matter on the roll or scrap it.
Mapu and Ntanga appeared in the city’s district court on Monday, where their matter was transferred to the Commercial Crimes Court for a trial date to be arranged.
Gouws said there were unreasonable delays in the matter and asked that the postponement to October 11 be final.
“It seems there is no case against the accused and this is nothing more than the state going on a fishing expedition.
“This is malicious prosecution,” Gouws said.
De Villiers said the state was ready to proceed on the charges of corruption but that further charges would possibly be added at a later stage while the investigation was being finalised.
Magistrate Nolitha Bara provisionally postponed the matter to October 11.