Former SANDF general accused of more than R2m fraud gets bail

More accused are expected to be added to the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) matter in which a former general is facing fraud charges involving R2.1m.

On Thursday the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court granted Mendis Eddy Modlane R10,000 bail.

Company director Mugisha Charles Mwali was granted R5,000 bail while Phomolo Enterprises, represented by Mwali, was released on warning. 

Modlane is facing three counts of fraud and Mwali and Phomolo each face one count of fraud. 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in 2015 Modlane was employed as a brigadier-general by the military in the joint operation headquarters division under the directorate of joint operations support. The division deals with the deployment of soldiers to other countries and in SA.

“On November 10 2015, the division requested the procurement of 3,000 heat-resistant buffs and 3,000 military goggles to prevent sicknesses caused by dust for SA bases in Sudan at an estimated value of R2.2m,” said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.

On December 14 that same year, Modlane allegedly defrauded the army by writing a request to the central procurement service centre, asking to deviate from the procurement processes and requesting Phomolo be appointed to supply and deliver the items for three rotations starting on January 16 2016. 

“After the submission was approved, Phomolo was invited to bid. It submitted bid documents with a total price of more than R2.1m, R940 less than the [initial] R2.2m, and was appointed for the services on February 15 2016,” Mahanjana said.

Modlane and Mwela were arrested earlier in April after they handed themselves over to police, but denied committing the offences and asked to be released on bail.

Mahanjana said the state did not oppose their release on bail as they were not a flight risk and had no previous convictions or pending cases. 

The matter has been postponed to July 17 for further investigation.

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