Corruption-accused Judge Portia Phahlane barred from entering Pretoria High Court

A Gauteng High Court judge has been barred from entering the Pretoria High Court amid her corruption and money laundering case.

Judge Portia Phahlane was arrested this week and appeared in the Commercial Crimes Court together with her son Kagiso and the leader of the Jerusalem faction of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), Michael Sandlana.

Phahlane is accused of taking bribes of more than R2 million from Sandlana during a church succession battle that she is presiding over in the high court.

The judge, her son and the churches spokesperson, Vusi Ndala, were granted bail on Wednesday but Sandlana was kept behind bars.

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Over the last couple of months, Phahlane has beenhearing an IPHC church succession battle involving Sandlana, who is one of three men who claim to be the rightful leader of the church.

But she now stands with him as a co-accused facing 19 counts of corruption, collectively with two other accused including her son Kagiso and Ndala.

When she granted Judge Phahlane R50,000 bail, Magistrate Nica Setshogoe gave conditions including that she surrenders her passport.

“Accused 4 is prohibited from entering the buildings of the high courts. She is barred from doing that until further notified or an application may be brought to court for an amendment of such a condition.”

Judge Phahlaneclaims the charges are due to a personal vendetta by parties in the church’s succession case.