Deputy minister pays back stolen cash to ANC ‘donor’

deputy minister pays back stolen cash to anc ‘donor’

Deputy minister pays back stolen cash to ANC ‘donor’

Embattled Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister, Bernice Swarts, has finally paid the R500 000 debt she had allegedly swindled from an ANC donor in exchange for the businessman to drop criminal charges against her.

This comes after ‘The Star’ last month reported that businessman Tuwani Mulaudzi had accused Swarts of tricking and defrauding him into paying R500 000 into her personal bank account purported to be going into the governing ANC coffers as a donation for their election campaign back in 2014.

‘The Star’ believes the two parties came to a decision to settle out of court after a “fixer” known to ‘The Star’ facilitated the deal.

Mulaudzi had initially opened a case of theft and fraud with case number 398/9/2013 at the Sunnyside police station after he realised that the money he had donated was sent to Swarts’ personal bank account.

Even though Swarts had repeatedly denied the allegations, ‘The Star’ had seen bank records proving that Mulaudzi had deposited the money into Swarts’ account in 2013, before she was MP, which he thought was an ANC account,

That money, meant to go towards the governing party’s 2014 Tshwane region elections campaign, never reached the ANC.

However, early last week it came to light, through reports, that Swarts had paid back the money to Mulaudzi in exchange for him to withdraw the charges he had instituted against her.

In court papers that ‘The Star’ had access to, dated April 26, Mulaudzi signed a case withdrawal letter against the minister.

The letter read in part: “Without prejudice statement on the occasion of withdrawal of charges: Sunnyside CAS 398/09/2013. I, Tuwani Matthews Mulaudzi hereby withdraw the criminal charges against Bernice Swarts following an amicable out-of-court settlement of the matter.

“I, therefore, will not be proceeding and/or pursuing the matter any further. Done and signed at Pretoria on the 26th April 2024.”

However, in a twist of events, according to reports from a Sunday newspaper, the money that was paid to Mulaudzi came from a service provider company linked to Swarts’ department. She had allegedly volunteered to pay back the money to Mulaudzi.

The company name is known to ‘The Star’, but cannot be revealed at this stage to avoid reprisals for the company.

Swarts avoided questions sent on by two different phones on the May 15 by ‘The Star’ as she had blocked the other number.

Her phone rang unanswered, while the same questions were sent to her legal representatives, MPM Attorneys, on the same day.

Only her legal representatives responded, referring the questions to the minister.

The response from MPM Attorneys read: “Our office has received your email and the contents thereof. We have not received instructions on the above inquiry. Kindly communicate with the Deputy Minister.”

Some of the questions that Swarts failed to answer included whether she was aware that there were new allegations that she had paid the money owed to Mulaudzi through a service provider linked to her department?

Other questions were whether the minister was aware the charges against her were dropped? And if she knew about the middle man who facilitated the settlement between Mulaudzi and herself?

According to the City Press dated May 12, Swarts denied she had sent anyone to pay her debt to Mulaudzi. She apparently said she had not met Mulaudzi or taken any money from him.

Prior to ‘The Star’ report, dated April 18, on the deputy minister being accused of swindling money from Mulaudzi, she had electronically handed court papers to ‘The Star’ after she had received a media inquiry from the publication.

She was seeking to interdict the paper from publishing the story, but withdrew her application on the eve of the matter serving before the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg.

This was seen as an attempt to gag the media. However, the court ordered her to pay legal representatives of both parties.

Swarts, who was appointed deputy minister after the March 2023 Cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa, is a senior official of the ANC and is number 18 on the party’s election candidate list, paving her way to the National Assembly after the May 29 elections if the ANC get the votes.

Pretoria News

[email protected]

OTHER NEWS

21 minutes ago

Britain's July 4 election is fast approaching. Rishi Sunak is running out of time to change the tune

21 minutes ago

Emma Raducanu turns down place at Paris Olympics

21 minutes ago

House of the Dragon season one recap: Everything that’s happened in the Game of Thrones spin-off so far

21 minutes ago

Lily Allen reveals comment that was ‘edited out’ of BBC podcast with Miquita Oliver

21 minutes ago

Egyptian President Hails Good Organization of Hajj and Services Provided

21 minutes ago

Rahul Gandhi says EVMs are a 'black box' that nobody is allowed to scrutinise as Elon Musk raises hacking concerns

21 minutes ago

What to know about Trump's outreach with Arab Americans led by his daughter Tiffany's father-in-law

21 minutes ago

New report shows common medication puts at-risk individuals in danger — and heat is only making matters worse

21 minutes ago

‘Complete dud’: Matt Canavan and Abigail Boyd go head-to-head in heated net zero debate

21 minutes ago

Former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni passes on at 60

21 minutes ago

25 people penalized for transporting 103 illegal pilgrims

21 minutes ago

Man Utd Transfer News: Red Devils told to hijack move for ideal Casemiro replacement Joao Palhinha

21 minutes ago

How the ‘least cultured’ place in Britain reinvented itself

21 minutes ago

'Geez, he's raw!' - Michael Owen sends WARNING about misfiring Liverpool forward

21 minutes ago

Emma Raducanu’s Olympic decision confirmed as Team GB squad for Paris 24 is revealed

21 minutes ago

He plays like Kroos: Man Utd could land "special" 51m Mainoo partner

21 minutes ago

Terminated Red Bull junior driver speaks out following axe

21 minutes ago

United Rugby Championship Team of the week: A Springbok in waiting, ‘Huwipulotu’ and the Bulls front-row all feature after semi-finals

21 minutes ago

Hunter Biden beams as he's seen out in Hollywood after felony gun conviction

21 minutes ago

Trump threatens to cut off aid to Ukraine 'prior to taking the White House as president-elect'

21 minutes ago

Fourteen Jordanians die during Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

21 minutes ago

How explosion of mega warehouses is turning America's heartland into a hellscape, as raging locals say soulless eyesores are ruining their lives

21 minutes ago

Inside the bitter fight between the Mormons and small town America: Church accused of 'bullying' picturesque hamlets into letting them build towering temples

21 minutes ago

Glamorous socialite 'dupes Palm Beach elite with $2M scam' at heart of shopping mecca for the mega rich

21 minutes ago

Video: Fury after police ram terrified runaway cow with their squad car down London street - with cops forced to refer itself to watchdog amid backlash and Home Secretary demanding explanation over 'heavy-handed' incident

21 minutes ago

Video: Fury after police ram terrified runaway cow with their squad car down London street - with cops forced to refer itself to watchdog amid backlash and Home Secretary demanding explanation over 'heavy-handed' incident

27 minutes ago

Why student loan forgiveness sparks anger: A philosopher, attorney general, sociologist and religious thought expert weigh in

27 minutes ago

Detroit pastor thanks Trump for visiting the ‘hood’ as Biden, Obama who ‘never came’ attend LA fundraiser

27 minutes ago

Andrew Garfield keeps it casual as he enjoys a date night with glamorous doctor girlfriend Kate Tomas at Chiltern Firehouse

28 minutes ago

Olympics-Kipyegon targets double gold in Paris

28 minutes ago

Wilding review – a biodiversity success story in West Sussex

28 minutes ago

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | Rajeev Chandrasekhar Counters Elon Musk’s EVM Tampering Remark | News18

32 minutes ago

Hamburg police fire shots at axe-wielding person at Euro 2024 fan parade

34 minutes ago

Feeney claims back-to-back Darwin race wins

34 minutes ago

Exodus of skilled workforce rises 119%

34 minutes ago

American VAR expert Christina Unkel gives ITV edge over BBC at Euro 2024

34 minutes ago

Insider Today: Meta's manager squeeze

34 minutes ago

Fewer than 200,000 Britons living abroad apply to vote in UK election

34 minutes ago

Frustration and loathing in Las Vegas: What Nevada voters REALLY think of a Trump Biden 2024 election

34 minutes ago

Video: As Kate Middleton gets back behind the camera, how the Princess' passion for taking pictures has seen her capture some of the most touching royal photos in decades