The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has dealt a significant blow to Kishene Chetty and his co-accused by striking their application to consolidate multiple fraud, forgery, and money laundering and other charges of dishonesty into one, after arguing that the charges in all the cases are similar.

However, their attempt was met with fierce opposition from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), whose counsel highlighted procedural issues regarding the submission of new evidence.

During the hearing, the state’s representatives objected when Chetty’s legal team attempted to introduce four new lever arch files containing documentation that had not been previously shared with the court.

“The State argued that in law, an applicant can file a supplementary only if they obtain leave to do so from a court, following a substantive application,” said Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).

Mamothame added that the proceedings took a critical turn when the judge raised questions about the appropriateness of a civil court being presided on by a civil court.

“This outcome will provide progress in the cases that Chetty and his co-accused are facing, as they have been postponed pending this ruling,” he said.

Chetty and his co-accused, which include officials from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and private entities, are facing several corruption cases relating to tender fraud within the SAPS.

The businessman is alleged to have taken control of the SAPS’s supply chain and obtained large contracts through fraudulent means. He faces allegations of winning questionable contracts to provide SAPS with printer toners, office supplies, and furniture totaling around R800,000.

There are more additional allegations of owning multiple companies that are connected to him but are registered in the names of his associates, which have bid on the same tenders and have benefited him directly.

Charges have also been brought against him for creating fake Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) certificates, altering information in his bid, and working with police officers to ignore these discrepancies and grant him the contracts.

In another case, Chetty is confronted with additional charges of fraud and racketeering related to a vehicle branding issue worth R56 million, along with 40 other defendants.

sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za

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