State pushes for R50k bail in Mpumalanga education tender fraud case

The prosecution in the multimillion-rand tender fraud case linked to the Mpumalanga Department of Education argued on Tuesday that bail for the accused should be set at at least R50,000.

The State believes that if the accused paid a significant amount for bail, they would not flout their bail conditions.

The group returned to the Mbombela Magistrate's Court for a bail application on Tuesday.

They were charged with fraud, theft, and money laundering for allegedly defrauding the Department of Education of R113 million.

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State prosecutor Prenisha Jagganath said: “The accused have to pay a bail that will make an impact on their lives that they will not be willing to forfeit, that they will attend court for the duration of this trial and remain in attendance thereto.”

Jagganath remained adamant that bail should be around R50,000 or more.

“And therefore I would still maintain that in each of the suspects that the bail be set around 50 thousand or more within the court’s discretion.”