Conflict of interest involving Bongo's legal counsel leads to another delay in bribery case
He was back in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face fresh charges related to Parliament’s 2017 Eskom inquiry.
Bongani Bongo in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, 8 November 2022. Picture: Nkosikhona Duma/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - A conflict of interest involving the legal counsel of former Minister of State Security Bongani Bongo has led to another delay in proceeding with his bribery case.
On Tuesday, he was back in the Cape Town Magistrates Court to face fresh charges related to Parliament’s 2017 Eskom inquiry.
It’s been four years since the Western Cape High Court discharged the case for lack of evidence.
However, the State is having a second stab at prosecuting the former member of Parliament (MP), following a successful petition to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Bongo is accused of attempting to bribe the evidence leader of Parliament’s Eskom inquiry into State capture to stall the probe for an undisclosed amount of money.
The former parliamentary legal advisor and evidence leader, Ntuthuzelo Vanara, is now the chief legal advisor at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
He previously testified that Bongo came to his office to offer him a blank cheque to bungle the inquiry.
On Tuesday, the magistrates court heard that Bongo will require time to brief new legal counsel because a conflict of interest has been identified with his current representatives.
When the matter returns to court, the State is expected to provide Bongo with further particulars and serve him with an indictment.
Bongo is currently out on bail.
The matter is expected to be transferred to the high court for pretrial on the return date of 27 May.