By BAKANG MOKOTO
4 September 2025- The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge ruled in favour of the NPA’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) for trial to commence on 14 November 2025, as strongly argued by the state prosecutor in a corruption case involving businessman, Kishene Chetty and 17 of his co-accused.
This ruling follows an application by Chetty and some of the co-accused to have the matter postponed pending the outcome of a review application which they intend filing with the high court.
The IDAC spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said this intended review application is subsequent to the high court striking their application to have all their criminal cases wherein they are facing corruption charges to be combined. Mamothame said the magistrate ruled that it would not be in the interest of justices to delay trial on a matter that has been on the court roll for over three years.
“She further indicated that the review application and the trial can run parallel, without imposing any prejudice to some of the accused who are ready to proceed with trial as the state is.
“Chetty together with his co-accused are facing charges of fraud, corruption, forgery and theft relating to payments of legal fees to a firm of attorneys to benefit those who were members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the time when they were arrested, for a separate corruption case that is sitting at the Pretoria High Court,” he said.
Mamothame further said proceeds of unlawfully awarded PPE contracts valued at approximately R8 million to companies linked to Chetty, were allegedly used to pay for the gratifications. Chetty together with some of the accused, are facing other criminal charges in four other cases relating to the irregular awarding of contracts within the SAPS.
The Guardian 