Former Minister of State Security Bongani Thomas Bongo (47) has been released on R 5 000 bail after appearing in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court today. This comes after his arrest this morning on corruption charges.

ATTEMPTED BRIBE ALLEGATIONS

According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, from September to October 2017, Bongo approached a member of the then Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Ntuthuzelo Vanara, to allegedly arrange a meeting to prevent the next sitting where the Eskom board was to account. "Eventually, the suspect secured the meeting wherein he indicated that the Portfolio Committee sitting with the Eskom board could not proceed as planned and indicated that was possible if the member named his price," Mogale said.

RETRIAL

Bongo was initially charged with corruption in 2020. At the time, he denied the allegations, stating that Vanara was a lawyer and had engaged him previously and had discussions with him regarding the parallel processes and enquiries. Bongo was found not guilty by impeached Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe, who has since turned into a politician. Handing down his judgment at the time, Hlophe said: "Mr Vanara's evidence is not credible in some material respects. He is a single witness. Therefore, his evidence must be clear and satisfactory in all material respects." Hlophe also dismissed the NPA's application for leave to appeal the dismissal in 2022. Bongo never testified in the first trial after his legal team applied for a discharge. The case was postponed to March 4.