The high-profile fraud and corruption cases involving former University of Fort Hare employees and businesspeople were postponed to November by the East London commercial crimes court on Thursday.
The accused, nine former UFH employees, with service providers and their companies, are alleged to have colluded in the awarding of tender contracts at UFH in return for gratification.
The accused — Isaac Plaatjies, Bradly Conradie, Anna Susana Ansa Smith, Paul Anathanatius Tladi, Lucrecia Claudine Davids, Mbulelo Gingcina, Louis Nkateko Mawila, Nozuko Theodora Mabombo, Gosain Wayne van der Haar, Thamsanqa Sonjica, Terrence Joubert, Craig Retief, Anwar Khan, Nthabiseng Keitumetse Makhoba, Justin Peter King and Raymond Patel, appeared briefly before magistrate Sadia Jacobs.
Their matters will be prosecuted by different prosecutors before five magistrates when their trials start.
Previously, their legal teams had no objections to the charges being withdrawn and reinstated in the form of a separation of trials, save for those representing Plaatjies and Conradie.
This, they said, was in the best interests of the accused and the interests of justice, and prevented further delays.
Jacobs provisionally postponed the first group of accused to the Mdantsane regional court on November 20.
She provisionally postponed three other cases to the special commercial crimes court, where two will be heard on November 21 and another on November 28.
The last group, which includes Plaatjies and Conradie, that sat in the East London regional court, will be heard on November 10 in the same court.
More than R172m was paid by UFH to the service providers, with the bulk allegedly finding its way into the pockets of university employees, now the accused.
The conclusion of these tenders was allegedly associated with violent acts, including the murders of Mboneli Vesele, vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu’s bodyguard, and fleet manager Petrus Roodt.
The murder trial in relation to Vesele is before the Bhisho high court, where all the accused including Plaatjies, have pleaded not guilty.
The trial of those charged with the murder of Roodt is set to start in the East London high court in November.
The Dispatch previously reported that prosecutor advocate Lonwabo Poswa said the state was no longer pursuing racketeering charges. The state had opted to charge the accused in separate groups.
Only Plaatjies remains in custody. His family was in court on Thursday.
Charges were withdrawn against forensic lawyer Sarah Burger, 17 months after she and the other accused were charged.
Daily Dispatch
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