VBS bank case heading to High Court as more suspects added The case will finally head to the High Court, after the state secures a special certificate from the National Director of Public Prosecutions for the addition of more suspects. Contributor Wednesday, 27 January 2021, 12:37 Eight suspects accused of looting the VBS Bank appear at Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesburg, on 18 June 2020. They were each granted R100, 000 bail. Picture: Nigel Sibanda, The Citizen
NATIONAL NEWS - The VBS Mutual Bank case is headed for the High Court.
The case came briefly before the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, when it was postponed due to additional suspects, that the state has its eye on, to be added and for transfer to the High Court.
The not-so-great escape
“Mr Zuma has left, I’ve been told.”
In those words, a visibly disturbed Justice Raymond Zondo informed the public that former President Jacob Zuma had simply upped and departed the State Capture Commission without permission on 19 November.
Jacob Zuma, former South African president, pauses as he arrives to testify in the state capture inquiry in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday, July 15, 2019. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
While Zuma’s tea-break dash interfered with South Africa’s quest for answers, his violation of a subpoena that compelled him to appear for five days last month caused the commission to immediately open a criminal case against him.
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The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court will rule on Thursday on whether the blue-lights tender fraud matter should be struck off the roll.
The accused appeared before the Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate s Court on Wednesday.
They face charges, which include fraud, corruption, theft and money laundering related to a R191 million tender to fit 1 500 police vehicles with blue lights.
The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate s Court, will on Thursday rule whether the case against former senior officers and a businessman allegedly linked to the SAPS fraudulent multimillion-rand blue light tender should be struck off the roll.