It’s been nearly three weeks since Anwar ‘Dogg’ Khan and 14 others were arrested and linked to suspected fraud and corruption at the University of Fort Hare (UFH).
Khan bids for bail
Khan, Terrence Joubert, and Isaac Plaatjies are currently seeking bail.
Khan, the proprietor of The Pentagon Group, a private security firm in KZN, served as AKA’s bodyguard for an extended period.
According to IOL, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has stated that the State is contesting the bail request, which is presently under consideration at the Alice Magistrate’s Court in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape.
According to NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, the bail application process will resume on Wednesday, with no clear indication of when a decision will be reached.
Last week, 10 individuals accused were granted bail, each set at R50 000.
The accused, nine of them employed by UFH and the others as service providers, allegedly conspired to award each other tender contracts at the university in exchange for gratuities, per the NPA’s allegations.
As part of their bail terms, they must report to the police station once a week.
Businessman granted R50 000 bail in Fort Hare corruption case
The 21st individual implicated in the University of Fort Hare’s R172 million corruption case, Justin Peter King, has been granted bail in the amount of R50 000.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, King is accused of using his cash loan business to offer cash payments as gratuities to University of Fort Hare staff.
According to BusinessDay,Tyali mentioned that the bail hearings for Terrence Joubert and Anwar Khan were ongoing. However, one of the accused, Isaac Plaatjies, had decided against pursuing bail.
The individuals facing charges were apprehended over the Easter weekend by a police national task team tasked with probing criminal activities at the University of Fort Hare, which has seen incidents of murder and attempted murder.
Tyali explained that nine of the 21 accused were university employees, while the remainder were service providers and their associated companies. They stand accused of conspiring to exchange tender contracts at the university in exchange for gratuities.
“The total amount of funds paid by the university to the service providers is more than R172m, with the bulk of it allegedly finding its way into the pockets of the accused university employees. The conclusion of these tenders was allegedly preceded by violent acts at the University of Fort Hare.”
According to The Citizen, The individuals implicated in the corruption case, alongside five business entities, EL Reign, Tarlec Security Solutions, BCHC, Horizon Forensics, and Pentagon Group, are scheduled to appear in court again on 9 May.
Tyali stated that Plaatjies faced additional charges in a separate case along with nine others, including the murder of University of Fort Hare fleet manager Petrus Roets and the university vice-chancellor’s bodyguard Richard Vesele.
They were also accused of attempting to murder vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu and deputy vice-chancellor Renuka Vithal, in addition to corruption charges.
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