Tefo Tefo
HIGH Court judge Justice Semapo Peete has postponed the corruption trial of former Ministry of Home Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Retšelisitsoe Khetsi, to 29 October 2014.
The case was deferred on Monday this week to enable the prosecution to furnish defence lawyers with witness statements the crown intends to use in the trial.
Mr Khetsi (46) is charged with bribery alongside 43-year-old South African, Motsotuoa Makoa. The case pertains to the awarding of a contract to Israeli company Nikuv International Projects (NIP) for the production of national identity documents and passports.
The prosecution alleges that between January and November 2012, Mr Khetsi, in his capacity as chief accounting officer and PS, received around M5 million in bribes from Mr Makoa, who was then the NIKUV agent.
Mr Khetsi is also facing an alternative charge of corruption “in contravention of Section 21 (3) (b) of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act No 5 of 1999”.
He is alleged to have abused his position as principal secretary to violate Procurement Regulations No-1 of 2007 “for purposes of obtaining and granting the contract to Nikuv”.
In the second alternative charge, Mr Makoa is alleged to have offered to give M5 million to Mr Khetsi “as an inducement or reward for unlawfully and irregularly facilitating the granting of the said contract to Nikuv International Projects”.
Both Mr Khetsi and Mr Makoa are out of custody after each paid M10 000 bail.
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