After spending over four months in jail, Moroadi Cholota, former personal assistant to Free State ex-premier Ace Magashule, has been granted bail in a R255m corruption case by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court.
Despite the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) opposing her bail application, Cholota was granted R2,500 bail on her third court appearance. She was extradited from the US, where she had been in jail since April 12.
Magistrate Estelle de Lange ordered Cholota’s release, stating that the state failed to prove she was a flight risk. The corruption trial involving Magashule and 15 Free State government officials, accused in a corrupt scheme over a tender awarded to businessman Edwin Sodi, is expected to be lengthy.
De Lange highlighted the importance of justice in granting bail to Cholota, as the trial could take months or even years to conclude. Keeping her in custody until then would halt her life, and her defense successfully argued for bail in her best interest.
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