Sandi Majali granted bail

Sikonathi Mantshantsha & Sapa | Sun, 24 Oct 2010 09:50

[miningmx.com] -- CONTROVERSIAL businessman Sandile Majali was released on bail early on Saturday after an urgent application was lodged in the Johannesburg High Court, his lawyer said.

"He got bail at 01:00 [Saturday] in the High Court," said John Ngcebetsha.

He could not provide further details.

Majali was originally denied bail on Friday. He is facing fraud charges for his alleged role in the illegal removal of directors of mining company Kalahari Resources.

The prosecution said it needed to determine if there were other charges of fraud and money laundering pending against Majali, best known for his role in the Oilgate scandal that channelled taxpayers’ money to fund the ANC election campaign of 2004.

“Of course my client is going to plead not guilty,” said Ngcebetsha.

“As we showed in our affidavit in September, my client had nothing to do with the removal of Daphne Mashile-Nkosi and her brother as directors of Kalahari Resources.”

Ngcebetsha was referring to Kalahari Resources chairperson Mashile-Nkosi’s successful application for relief at the South Gauteng High Court against Majali and seven other people. They had installed themselves as directors of the mining company in her place, without her or any other shareholder’s knowledge or approval.

The court ordered the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro) to re-instate Mashile-Nkosi on its records and awarded legal costs against Majali and the other accused.

Three other accused, Haralambos Sferopoulos, Stephen Khoza and Elvis Bongani Ndala, were also denied bail.

The state did not oppose bail for Linda Dlamini, which was set at R10 000.

The state asked for an extension to determine whether Khoza, Sferopoulos and Ndala were mentally fit for trial. It alleged they were at the Sterkfontein mental institution as the “president’s patients”, a term which generally denotes remaining mental patients forever.

Sources close to the case also alleged that Khoza's South African citizenship is questionable, as he was once declared an undesirable immigrant by the department of home affairs

The offence for which the three appeared in court occurred while both Sferopoulos and Khoza were on "temporary leave" from the mental institution, to spend time with their families before returning to the institution.