Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni. Former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni. File Picture: Bheki Radebe
Durban - The fraud and corruption case against former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni, which is linked to the defunct facilities company Bosasa, is one of the more than 80 investigation cases referred to the Investigating Directorate (ID) by the Zondo Commission’s report.
Myeni, and former Bosasa director Trevor Mathenjwa, appeared briefly in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The pair were released on R10 000 bail. Myeni has been accused of receiving more than R300 000 worth of kickbacks from Bosasa and its subsidiary Sondolo IT.
During her appearance before the state capture inquiry, Myeni refused to respond to allegations of fraud and corruption against her, saying she did not want to incriminate herself, but Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo recommended further investigations. However, Myeni did tell the commission that she never received money or gifts from former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi.
Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said Myeni and Mathenjwa, a former director of Sondolo IT, were arrested on Friday morning.
“During the tenure of Myeni as SAA chairperson, she had a legal duty to disclose her interests in terms of the SAA Conflict of Interest Policy, which we allege she failed to do. Myeni thus stands accused of corruption for receiving gratification from Bosasa subsidiary Sondolo IT, offered by Mathenjwa.”
Seboka said Myeni was accused of having received security upgrades for her Richards Bay premises from May 2014 to March 2015, to the value of R200 000.
“She is further accused of benefiting from hotel accommodation and travel expenses for her and persons close to her, from Bosasa, facilitated by Blake Travels, between May 2014 and March 2015 for more than R107 000.”
The pair are expected back in court on November 17. It is expected that the State will then apply to have the case transferred to Gauteng as this is where the majority of the witnesses live.
In May 2020, Myeni was declared a delinquent director by a high court, which banned her for life from holding any directorship position. She had to abandon all her directorships, including her roles as SAA chairperson, executive chairperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation and deputy chairperson of the Free State electricity distribution company Centlec. Myeni appealed but in April 2021, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed one of her two appeals against the ruling.
In November 2020, Myeni gave virtual testimony at the state capture inquiry saying she had only dealt with Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson, and she did not receive R300 000 in payments from Agrizzi.
Myeni said the Zuma Foundation did not receive cash, but companies and individuals paid for services or deposited funds into the foundation’s bank account. Seboko had previously said that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was committed to cracking down on state capture-related cases to end impunity for high-level corruption.
“The commission will continue to grant the NPA access to evidence gathered by the commission to ensure successful prosecutions of matters arising from the commission’s work,” said Seboka.
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