Former African National Congress Regional Chair, Phumlani Mkolo, and 11 others are accused of embezzling R10 million from the Buffalo City Metro.The other co-accused include former Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, NCOP member Zukiswa Ncitha and former Buffalo City Metro Speaker, Luleka Simon-Ndzele.
The defence team says the disclosure of evidence should have happened before the trial had started. It also says that the timing of the disclosure puts them in a difficult position to prepare and challenge the evidence. The defence team is also questioning the admissibility of the evidence that some witnesses have given.which the state is accused of being in possession of for a long time but is only bringing to bear now.
A cellphone expert from Vodacom is expected to testify in the trial in the High Court in Bhisho on Tuesday. The State denies the allegations.One of the accused, who was allegedly involved in the purchase of t-shirts amounting to over R1.3 million, applied for the separation of trial, arguing that he was not aware that the monies he received from purchasing ANC t-shirts were proceeds of unlawful activity.