- Former DA and City of Cape Town councillor Malusi Booi and nine co-accused appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
- Booi along with several other officials were arrested in connection with fraud and tender corruption.
- The case was postponed to Friday for bail hearings.
The State will not oppose bail for former DA and City of
Cape Town councillor Malusi Booi and his co-accused who were arrested in
connection with a fraud and tender corruption case.
Booi and several other high-ranking officials made an
appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday afternoon.
Booi and nine co-accused face 15 charges, including
several counts of corruption, racketeering, intimidation, money laundering, and
conspiracy to commit fraud.
READ | Police arrest former City of Cape Town councillor Malusi
Booi amid fraud, corruption probe
Booi was arrested on Monday evening in the Eastern Cape by
a team consisting of Western Cape police Commercial Crime Unit detectives and Anti-Gang
Unit organised crime investigators.
His arrest comes after the police raided his office in
March last year and seized electronic devices.
Media applications
Before Booi and his co-accused were brought into the
dock, several media houses brought applications to take images and videos of
their first appearance.
The State did not oppose the media’s application but the
defence team for the accused opposed it.
Booi’s legal representative, Luzuko Guma, told the
court safety was of high concern.
“Certain information of this case is sensitive and
we are objecting to them [the media] taking videos and images. One of the
crucial issues is safety because he [Booi] was transported from the Eastern
Cape,” he said.
However, Magistrate Alida Theart ruled the media would be
allowed to record proceedings and take photographs of the accused.
Other suspects
Booi’s co-accused are Suraya Manual, Mohammed Amod,
Siphokazi September, Randall and Brenda Mullins, Abdul-Kader Davids, Thuli
Imgibi, Lorna Ndoda and Nomvuyo Mnyaka.
September was the director for public housing at the
City and was dismissed after being found guilty during a
disciplinary hearing in January.
She was suspended after the police raided her
offices and conducted a search-and-seizure operation following tender fraud
allegations against Booi.
The State argued bail should be set at R200 000 for Booi
and all should have strict bail conditions.
The court heard Booi had handed over his passport to the
investigating officer.
The accused will remain in
custody and return to court on Friday for the continuation of their bail
hearings.
