Bongani Bongo corruption matter back in court as State seeks to leave appeal acquittal

The corruption matter involving former State Security minister and African National Congress (ANC) MP, Bongani Bongo, is back in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

The State will be requesting leave to appeal the February 2021 judgment, in which Judge President John Hlophe acquitted Bongo on the bribery charge, citing a lack of evidence.

The State now wants the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to consider the matter.

Bongani Bongo became the first person to face criminal charges emanating from Parliament’s 2017 Eskom inquiry.

He had been accused of trying to bribe the evidence leader, Ntuthuzelo Vanara, to scupper the inquiry.

But after the testimony of several witnesses, mostly parliamentary staff, Bongo’s legal team filed a Section 174 application in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, claiming the evidence on which to find Bongo guilty, was flimsy.

Judge John Hlophe found that the State had failed to prove the corruption charge against Bongo.

Now the State wants the Supreme Court of Appeal to consider whether Hlophe correctly applied the test in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act.

It also wants the SCA to consider whether the State failed to prove the offence of corruption because the trial court argued that no arrangements had been made for the payment of the bribe.

Bongo is also facing another corruption matter involving 11 others for fraud worth R74 million, related to land deals in Mpumalanga.