The Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court has granted bail to Judge Portia Phahlane and her co-accused.
Phahlane is suspected of taking a bribe to reach a decision that would benefit one of the parties involved in the succession dispute inside the International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC).
The Hawks’ operation took Phahlane, her son Kagiso Phahlane, church leader Mike Sandlana, and Vusi Ndala into custody on Tuesday night.
Defence proposed R50k bail
During proceedings, Phahlane’s legal representative proposed that bail for the judge be set at R50 000, arguing that the amount would be both reasonable and manageable.
The court released the son and the other two co-accused on R10 000 bail each.
As arguments shifted to bail conditions, the state asked the court to compel Judge Phahlane to surrender her passport by no later than 4pm on Friday.
Prosecutors also asked the court to prohibit the accused judge from entering the two high court buildings in Pretoria during the trial.
Furthermore, the accused, who face charges of money laundering and corruption, were ordered to hand in their passports and not to interfere with investigations or witnesses directly or indirectly.
They were also cautioned not to commit similar offences while still on bail.
An application for a postponement was put forward by the state, wherein the presiding officer found in favour of it.
The case against Sandlana was, therefore, postponed to December 3 for further investigation.
The case stems from claims that the presiding judge received millions of rands in compensation for rendering a favourable ruling. This was in a protracted succession dispute involving a well-known church.
The church leader and two other people allegedly engaged in a complicated scheme to transfer the funds. This is information according to investigators.
Money trail discovered
The Hawks disclosed that during a probe led by the prosecution, they discovered a clear money trail.
And it demonstrated that significant amounts were transferred between the defendants in an effort to sway the civil case. The case is presently pending before the Pretoria High Court.
Following evidence of the four suspects’ direct involvement in the purported corruption and money-laundering network, warrants were issued for their arrest.
According to the Hawks, there are more arrests that they are going to make, as they are still investigating.
South African judges are under scrutiny following accusations made by multiple witnesses at the Madlanga commission against them.
This was stated by KwaZulu-Natal police chief Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in his explosive press briefing.
READ MORE:Â Judge, church leader among four to appear in court for graft
