Court set to hear Cholota's special plea

JOHANNESBURG - Former Free State premier Ace Magashule's ex-PA, Moroadi Cholota, is expected to test the Free State High Court's jurisdiction to try her when the asbestos corruption case resumes on Monday.

The court granted Cholota's special plea on the matter more than a week ago.

She said the court has no jurisdiction to hold her criminally liable in the fraud and corruption case, claiming her Hollywood-style extradition from the United States was unlawful.

Cholota was meant to be a key witness for the State in its case against her former boss in the Bloemfontein High Court, where he's accused of having a hand in the irregular R255 million contract to identify and eradicate asbestos roofing on low-cost houses.

Cholota later backtracked on the agreement.

READ: Free State High Court relaxes Moroadi Cholota's bail conditions

Her arrest followed in April last year before she was finally extradited from the US, where she was based, to stand trial alongside Magashule and his other co-accused.

All the co-accused pleaded not guilty when the trial got underway last month.

The main trial has now been paused to allow for a trial-within-a-trial to determine if the court has jurisdiction to hear Cholota's case.

It's unclear how long the matter is expected to run before the first witness can be called in the main trial.