Mapisa-Nqakula's lawyers claim corruption charges against her are politically motivated
Mapisa-Nqakula appeared at the Pretoria High Court earlier on Friday, where she made an application for the state to disclose the investigation pocket book diary.
FILE: Former parliamentary Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on 9 July 2024. Picture: Thabiso Goba/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Lawyers for former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula claim the corruption charges against her are politically motivated.
Mapisa-Nqakula appeared at the Pretoria High Court on Friday, where she made an application for the State to disclose the investigation pocket book diary.
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She is facing 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering.
It's alleged that during her time as defence minister, Mapisa-Nqakula solicited and received bribes amounting to R4.5 million from a defence contractor.
It was revealed in court on Friday that the State previously had an arrest warrant for Mapisa-Nqakula rejected by a magistrate.
Defence advocate Reg Willis said the warrant was not granted because the State had not explained why it wouldn’t utilise “less drastic efforts” to secure her attendance in court.
"Our complaint throughout our application is a lack of due process and the pursuit of our client motivated by different reasons and the weaponising of the criminal justice system for political reasons. Now that we can't state as a fact but we make out the probabilities for that case."
In an affidavit submitted to the court, Mapisa-Nqakula said that her problems with the State began when as parliamentary Speaker, she convened the section 89 panel.
The panel later found President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated several sections of the Constitution regarding his behaviour following the break-in at his Phala Phala farm.