Free State MEC for social development Motshidisi Koloi has been released on R10 000 bail following her arrest by the Hawks on Thursday.
Koloi was arrested alongside chief director for human settlements programme Vusimuzi Rajuili and Serake Leeuw, political advisor to the Matjhabeng local municipality mayor.
Rajuili was set free on R10 000 bail while Leeuw walked out a free man on R5 000 bail after spending a night in the police cells.
The suspects – who are charged with fraud, corruption, money-laundering and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act – have been ordered to return to court on December 4.
“Part of their bail conditions is that they must not contact state witnesses, directly or indirectly, and they must not interfere with the investigation,” reads a joint statement by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
They handed themselves over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in Bloemfontein, Free State on Thursday after warrants for their arrests were issued.
This after they allegedly transacted at least R150 000 from the Moqhaka local municipality under the pretext that the funds would be used for a sound system at the Nelson Mandela Memorial Lecture, which never took place.
“This event never took place despite money having been transacted out of the municipal bank account,” Free State Hawks spokesperson Zweli Mohobeleli said on Thursday.
The incident dates back to 2017 when Koloi was the executive mayor for Moqhaka local municipality.
Court grants warrants of arrest
The warrants of arrest were granted shortly after the NPA assessed the docket and evidence before court in September.
In July, the MEC’s houses in Free State and Gauteng were raided by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation who were searching for electronics and documents that could implicate Koloi in money-laundering and corruption.
“Free State head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major-General Mokgadi Bokaba, applauded the investigators working on this case for their hard work which led to the court issuing the warrants of arrest.
“She [Bokaba] has encouraged them to pursue all matters they are investigating with more vigour,” said Mohobeleli.
