Office of Gauteng DPP boss Chauke to decide fate of BEE-dodging six

Directors allegedly submitted fake certificate to Eskom

- By Bongani Mdakane

The spotlight will be on the office of South Gauteng director of public prosecution manned by Advocate Andrew Chauke when the case against the directors of NJM resumes in the Palm Ridge Magistrates' Court on July 23.

The directors, Mark Smith, Alex Roditis, Vanessa Chun-gu, Guy Phillip le Roux, Raymond Crozier and Ronald Hoy will get to hear the outcome of their third bid to escape criminal prosecution.

The accused have vowed to make representations to Chauke's office to withdraw the charges against them after his subordinates, Adv Pretty Mabunda and Adv Gideon Nkoana, rejected their representations.

They face fraud and corruption charges, among others, after they confessed to submitting a fraudulent BEE shareholding certificate to Eskom where they attempted to secure a tender by including a black woman as one of the owners to satisfy black empowerment regulations.

The six accused were arrested and then released on R20000 bail each when they appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Court last year.

They then made representations to Mabunda, requesting that the charges be withdrawn. Mabunda sneezed at that. They then went to her superior, Nkoana, who also rejected their request.