Nelspruit – The fraud trial of Mpumalanga community safety department head Thulani Sibuyi and a co-accused was postponed on Monday in the Nelspruit Regional Court.

According to a Sapa correspondent, the court heard that Sibuyi’s lawyer was out of the country.

The matter was postponed to November 13 to allow Sibuyi’s lawyer to be part of the proceedings and for the prosecution team to disclose the docket to the defence.

Sibuyi, 37, faces fraud charges amounting to more than R140 million and his co-accused Vusi Mashaba, 41, faces fraud, forgery, and uttering charges.

The two men were not asked to plead during their appearance.

Earlier in August, Sibuyi and Mashaba handed themselves over to the Nelspruit police after a warrant of arrest was issued against them.

According to the State, Mashaba submitted a fraudulent tax clearance on his own behalf and on behalf of his company, GNT security, which is alleged to have illegally benefited from payments of R4 million a month for three years.

Prosecutor Patrick Nkuna previously told the court that the fraudulent document helped Mashaba’s company win a bid on a tender meant to provide security in the Msukaligwa local municipality area.

He said Sibuyi, as an accounting officer, had failed to stop the appointment, and verify the tax clearance, which led to the department entering a three-year contract with GNT security.

The two accused are both out on R50 000 bail.

Sibuyi remains at work while his case is in court.

Provincial director general Nonhlanhla Mkhize said she would not suspend Sibuyi from work as he had been told not to interfere with witnesses while he was out on bail.

Sapa