Celebrity bodyguard and businessman Anwar Khan is still providing close protection for the University of Fort Hare.
This was said by his legal representative, advocate Reuben Liddell, in the Dimbaza magistrate’s court on Wednesday, arguing for Khan, 55, to be released on bail.
Khan and former NPA employee and police officer Terrence Joubert are part of a group of 15 people and five companies arrested for allegations of defrauding the University of Fort Hare of more than R171m.
“Your worship heard today that he is still providing services to the very university in terms of which it’s alleged there were these alleged fraud and corruption,” Liddell argued.
“That, with greatest respect, shows the interest of justice permits his release on bail.”
Liddell said
Khan was a well-entrenched businessman who had 108 employees depending on him for work.
He added that his client was not a flight risk and that the state should present evidence as such or that he would interfere with witnesses.
“Here you have a well-entrenched businessman, a valuable member of our society, a person who is engaging in upliftment of community,” Liddell said.
“He [Khan] also testified that the notion that he should seek bail and thereafter breach bail conditions would not make any sense.
“To allege he is a flight risk is purely to create atmosphere and spin. There is no factual basis on any of the grounds upon which bail is opposed.
“He [Khan] testified he will subject himself to house arrest [if released]. What more can a person offer?”
Attorney Neil Ristow, representing Joubert, argued for the release of his client.
“There’s simply no reasonable basis to believe the applicant will evade trial,” he said.
“There’s no substantive evidence before you, save for speculation, that will lead one to believe that [Joubert] is going to intimidate witnesses or tamper with evidence.”
Senior state prosecutor advocate Mduduzi Mzila, meanwhile, said it was not in the interests of justice for the accused to be released on bail.
“To say there’s no evidence upon which the state relies on is not correct,” Mzila said.
“The court has all the facts before it.
“Our view is that the applicants, if released on bail, will not stand trial.”
The state alleges that money from Khan’s company funded the killing of driver Mboneli Vesele, who was gunned down in Alice on January 6.
Investigating officer Sergeant Nyadzeni Khorommbi earlier on Wednesday told the Alice magistrate’s court sitting in Dimbaza that payment was made from Khan’s company, Pentagon Civils, to Zimele Chiliza.
Chiliza is one of the 10 accused arrested and faces a litany of charges, including the murder of Vesele.
Opposing the release of Khan and Joubert on bail, Khorommbi testified that the payment allegedly made to Chiliza was used to hire vehicles which were allegedly used in the commission of the crime.
Khan and Joubert were arrested over the Easter weekend, along with 13 other accused, including current and former university officials, and are alleged to have defrauded the university of more than R171m.
It is alleged that between April 2019 and February 2024, all the accused falsely defrauded the university by expressly stating or implying to the university, vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu and chief financial officer Charles Matumba that there was a dangerous atmosphere after the arranged shootings were perpetrated in the UFH.
It is alleged that Khan’s company, Pentagon Group Company, was reportedly paid more than R62.2m, while Joubert received R6.6m and his company Tarlec Security Services received more than R7.6m.
Khorommbi said Joubert was dismissed by the NPA in May 2022 after being found guilty of fraud and corruption.
He said investigations into the qualifications of Isaac Plaatjies revealed that he did not have a senior certificate.
Further investigation, he said, revealed that Plaatjies did not graduate cum laude with a master of arts degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
He said Joubert vetted the university’s employees, including Plaatjies, but failed to inform the university that Plaatjies had fraudulent certificates.
The accused will be back in court on April 19 for judgment.
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