Cape Town - The R2.5 million City of Cape Town tender fraud case before the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has been moved to the Regional Court where it will be heard on September 8.
The case is against directors and employees of Ilitha Painters and Decorators, trading as The Construction Company (TCC) and two City officials.
The case stems from an October 2020 complaint lodged with the police by anti-crime activist Hanif Loonat and Cape Coloured Congress (CCC) leader, Fadiel Adams, and relates to a housing tender for the maintenance of the City-owned housing units.
Loonat and Adams alleged that Ilitha Painters and Decorators was involved in a corrupt relationship with the City.
On Friday, about 30 CCC supporters held a picket outside the magistrate’s court against the City and the DA.
Loonat and Adams both attended court for the first time since the matter began.
During a brief appearance by eight of the nine accused, Magistrate Reaz Khan extended bail after the State confirmed that it had met the July 7 deadline to provide the defence copies of all the outstanding evidence gathered in the investigation.
In May, Magistrate Ronel Oliver who was then presiding over the matter gave the State a deadline to deliver all documentation including charge sheets to the defence in good time for them to prepare their case.
Prosecutor Ezmeralda Johnson told the court the deadline had been met, but she had sent amended charges on Friday morning just before coming to court.
Advocates for the accused, Reuben Liddel and Lyle Hendricks, confirmed they had received the provisional charges sent on the morning of the appearance and asked the magistrate to ask the State to ensure that there were no new charges so that they could get on with preparing their clients.
The accused in the matter are TCC directors Asif Khan and Abdul Karrim Khan, their employees Uwais Khan, Irfaan Khan, Abdulatief Abrahams and Kannemeyer, as well as City employees Adam Majiet and Alistair Stanbul.
All are out on bail including Kannemeyer who is still in Ireland.
Liddel told the court he would be back for the September 8 hearing.