As he tries to become judge president, Deputy Judge President of Gauteng Aubrey Phage Ledwaba is being asked tough questions about his relationship with Katiso “KT” Molefe, who is thought to be a member of a drug cartel.
This is about a case in which Molefe is accused of planning the deaths of DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards in Woodmead, Johannesburg, on November 20, 2022.
Ledwaba took part in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews, where the panel brought up concerns about his candidacy.
It was revealed that six objections had been received, two of which had already been thrown out. However, objections related to the Molefe bail are still a major issue that cannot be ignored.
Alleged R2.5-million bribe
The allegation comes after Ledwaba’s name came up at the Madlanga commission of inquiry, where it was claimed that he received a R2.5-million bribe in connection with Molefe’s case, in which he gave R100 000 bail last June. However, he denied the claims.
“I did not take any money in respect of this bail application; I did not know Mr Molefe at all, and I had never met him,” Ledwaba said.
“I dealt with this matter in the ordinary course of my duties. Why did I deal with that matter? All appeals are regarded as urgent; hence, I am saying there were two bail applications that needed attention during recess, and there was no available judge that I could allocate these matters to.”
He explained further: “This application is not about me; I am focused on the Gauteng division’s best interests. I think the division needs a leader.
“If the appointments are stayed because other recommendations need to be made, I see the delay in the appointments as not in the best interest of the judiciary.”
Addressing bribery claims, Ledwaba claimed that he first became aware of them through media reports that Witness A had brought evidence that R2.5-million was set aside, and they were not sure if the money was given to him or the prosecutor.
He further raised concerns about the process followed by the commission, particularly that he was not provided an opportunity to respond before evidence implicating him was presented.
Ledwaba said he immediately engaged with the commission after becoming aware of the allegations.
Application for judge president job
He also said that he had told the commission that he wanted to apply for the judge president job and that he thought the issue would be settled before the JSC interviews.
“I can say that Witness A said that Witness B would back up or give more information about the evidence that I could be involved in arranging that bail should be granted for Mr Molefe.”
Speaking on bail proceedings, Ledwaba said there had been no objection from the state regarding his role and that subsequent developments in the case, where Molefe was granted R400 000 bail in the alleged murder of engineer Armand Swart, had not received the same level of public attention.
“The proceedings went on, I granted the appellant bail, and what is most interesting that I need to state to this commission is that a month or two months after Mr Molefe was granted bail, he was arrested and four additional charges of murder were added to his charges; the magistrate refused bail, and there was an appeal to the high court.
“I need to mention that I did not take any part in appointing a judge who was to hear that matter. The Johannesburg local division heard the matter, and I think the retired DJP [deputy judge president] allocated a judge to hear it.
“In that appeal, the court again granted Mr Molefe bail in the amount of R400 000. In the media, what was mainly published was that I granted bail to Mr Molefe, but when the other court granted him bail, that did not make news in the media,” said Ledwaba.
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- Deputy Judge President Aubrey Phage Ledwaba faces scrutiny over his association with Katiso "KT" Molefe, linked to a drug cartel and murder case.
- Allegations surfaced that Ledwaba accepted a R2.5-million bribe related to Molefe's bail, which he denies, stating he acted routinely and did not know Molefe.
- Ledwaba raised concerns about the inquiry process, noting he wasn't given a chance to respond before being implicated.
- He emphasized his focus on the Gauteng judiciary's best interests and criticized delays in judicial appointments.
- Ledwaba highlighted that bail decisions for Molefe involved multiple courts and judges, and media coverage unfairly focused on his involvement alone.
As he tries to become judge president, Deputy Judge President of
Ledwaba took part in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews, where the panel brought up concerns about his candidacy.
It was revealed that six objections had been received, two of which had already been thrown out. However, objections related to the Molefe bail are still a major issue that cannot be ignored.
“I did not take any money in respect of this bail application; I did not know Mr Molefe at all, and I had never met him," Ledwaba said.
"I dealt with this matter in the ordinary course of my duties. Why did I deal with that matter? All appeals are regarded as urgent; hence, I am saying there were two bail applications that needed attention during recess, and there was no available judge that I could allocate these matters to."
He explained further: "
"If the appointments are stayed because other recommendations need to be made, I see the delay in the appointments as not in the best interest of the judiciary."
He further raised concerns about the process followed by the commission, particularly that he was not provided an opportunity to respond before evidence implicating him was presented.
Ledwaba said he immediately engaged with the commission after becoming aware of the allegations.
He also said that he had told the commission that he wanted to apply for the judge president job and that he thought the issue would be settled before the JSC interviews.
"I can say that Witness A said that Witness B would back up or give more information about the evidence that I could be involved in arranging that bail should be granted for Mr Molefe."
"
“I need to mention that I did not take any part in appointing a judge who was to hear that matter.
"In that appeal, the court again granted Mr Molefe bail in the amount of R400 000. In the media, what was mainly published was that I granted bail to Mr Molefe, but when the other court granted him bail, that did not make news in the media,” said Ledwaba.
