Former Crime Intelligence boss, Richard Mdluli, appeared in the Pretoria High Court to face charges of fraud, corruption and theft related to the police’s secret slush fund on Friday.
Corruption Latest: Richard Mdluli fails to have judge recused
The Investigating Directorate has raised concern that Richard Mdluli has allegedly been employing delaying tactics ahead of his trial.
Former Crime Intelligence boss, Richard Mdluli, appeared in the Pretoria High Court to face charges of fraud, corruption and theft related to the police’s secret slush fund on Friday.
Former Crime Intelligence boss, Richard Mdluli, filed an application on Tuesday for the recusal of Judge Bert Bam in the Pretoria High Court, where he is facing charges of fraud, corruption and theft, related to the police’s secret slush fund.
Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Twala said Bam had dismissed the application for his recusal, ruling that they were bordering on malafide and that their argument was without substance.
Twala said the detailed judgment would be handed down next week.
“Judge Bam has amended his previous ruling, now the accused have to bring their application for funding within a month,” Twala said.
“We have looked at the merits and cleared as many of the stumbling blocks we feel halted the case ten years back and at various other times back,” she said.
She said the ID had declassified documents to allow the accused the right to a fair trial.
“Even after all of that has been done we strongly believe that the defence has been delaying, unduly so. The two accused Heine Barnard and Solomon Lazarus have not been delaying however we feel that Richard Mdluli has been the main issue,” she said.
She this was why the ID had intended to ask the court to bar him from any more delays. However, before the application could be made an agreement was reached that Mdluli would apply for state funding within the next 30 days so that can join his co-accused for the pre-trial in June.
“What we were trying to do from when we took up this case. It has to proceed. It cannot stop and start and be delayed for various reasons because the delays are tactics to prohibit justice from being done,” Twala said.
The three accused face charges related to the abuse of the police secret slush fund. The accusations include payment of private trips to China and Singapore, private use of witness protection houses, conversion of this property for personal use and the leasing out of his private residence to the state in order to pay Mdluli’s bond.
