Durban – An acting KwaZulu-Natal high court judge and a former head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development made their first appearance in court this week over fraud, corruption and money laundering allegations.
Siphiwe Mkhize, 63, and advocate Sthembiso Mdladla, 62, were arrested by the Hawks on Monday.
According to the Hawks, Mkhize, who headed up the Agriculture Department from 2015 until 2018, and his accomplice are accused of misrepresentation in a deal in which they got a businessman to pay R1 million to a vehicle dealership.
Mdladla, who was a service provider to the department at that time, and now an acting judge, allegedly paid R300 000 to the same dealership and bought a R1.3m vehicle that was later handed over to Mkhize.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said Mkhize was released on R15 000 bail and Mdladla on R10 000 bail.
The case was postponed to December.
IOL