The state has concluded investigations in the R102 million fraud case against self-proclaimed prophet Sheperd Bushiri and is ready to go on trial on the matter.
During the last court appearance in October, where Bushiri’s co-accused Willah Modolo, his wife Zethu Mudolo, Landiwe Ntlokwana, Nomalarvasagie Reddy and Sateesh Isseri, appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, where a last postponement was granted by the court.
However, in doing so, it warned should investigations not be complete when the matter returned to court in January 2023, the matter would be struck from the roll.
Bushiri, leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering, his wife, and their co accused face charges of fraud, theft and money-laundering relating to an alleged scam in which investors lost R102 million.
During the latest court appearance another accused, Stephanie Olivier, 53, was finally added to the matter to appear alongside the other co-accused after she was arrested in November.
The state informed the court that it had completed its investigations surrounding the fraud case involving Bushiri who fled to Malawi with his wife after they were granted bail for R200, 000 each by the court.
The State has previously said it is able to continue with the trial despite the absence of the couple and has throughout maintained that the charges against the accused were serious.
The state furnished the court and the defence with the indictment and told the court the matter was ready to be transferred to the high court.
The State further said the deputy of the court roll had been informed of this and a meeting had been requested to thrash out issues around the date and probability of the length of the trial.
Attempts to also have the media barred from broadcasting proceedings and taking pictures were also addressed as the legal counsels for the accused informed the court they had not been informed of their presence.
The court stated it would not be able to rule on the matter until a higher court had made the decision and in the interim no pictures of the accused be taken.
The matter has been postponed to 20 April for the allocation of the high court date.
Source: Times Live, IOL, Sowetan Live, image from Twitter: @SABreakingNews
