Interlocutory applications by suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and his co-accused in the Free State asbestos tender scam case have been dismissed with costs by the high court in Bloemfontein.
The judgment has been welcomed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), according to News24.
According to the report, Magashule claimed there was no validity to the State’s case against him, as his arrest was influenced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said in a statement: ‘The NPA welcomes the judgment and will now focus on ensuring that the pre-trial conference is concluded on the next court date so that a trial date can be arranged.
‘We have always maintained that all the matters raised by the accused should be ventilated by the trial court when the trial proceedings commence. The NPA has full confidence in the strength of its case and will let the evidence speak for itself during the trial.’
Magashule and his co-accused appeared in the Free State high court in Bloemfontein on Monday.
They have been charged with fraud, corruption, theft and money laundering, among other charges, linked to a R255 million contract for the assessment and removal of asbestos from roofs and/or housing in some of the Free State’s poorest areas.
The State alleges that the 2014 contract ultimately resulted in two subcontracted companies being paid R21 million to do the work, which was never actually completed. The rest of the money was allegedly pocketed by the accused.
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