The former State Security Minister Bongani Bongo and his brother, Joel, are among 11 individuals and 4 companies being charged with fraud, theft and corruption and money laundering and applying for bail.
FILE: Home Affairs committee chairperson Bongani Bongo. Picture: GCIS.
JOHANNESBURG – ANC MP and former State Security Minister Bongani Bongo and his brother, Joel, have been released on R10,000 bail each by the Mbombela Magistrates Court.
They are among 11 individuals and 4 companies being charged with fraud, theft and corruption and money laundering and applying for bail.
This is in connection with more than R124 million paid by the Mpumalanga province to acquire farms and alleged kickbacks that flowed to officials for inflating the prices.
The court papers said that one farmer was paid R15 million yet the department paid R37.5 million for the transaction.
In another transaction, the department paid R10.5 million for a farm valued at R1.5 million.
Bongo’s brother, Joel, allegedly received several payments of R300,000 each towards deposits for cars.
The ANC MP is accused number 8.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants Bongo removed as Parliament’s Home Affairs committee chair.
The official opposition has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to request the urgent removal pending the outcomes of his criminal cases.
The DA will also request Bongo’s immediate removal as chairperson of any public participation hearings into changing the Constitution to explicitly condone land expropriation without compensation.
DA Chief Whip -Natasha Mazzone: “It is unthinkable that a Member of Parliament who has been arrested by the Hawks and implicated numerous times during the Zondo Commission can remain a portfolio chairperson. How can it be that committees that lead the charge against corruption can have at their head those very people who are charged and accused of corruption?”
Additional reporting by Gladys Mutele.