The corruption case against Lieutenant General Richard Naggie Mdluli, who was the head of Police Crime Intelligence, PCI, in South Africa (2009 to 2012), and two others has been adjourned till February 6 next year for the purposes of a pretrial meeting.
When the matter was postponed last month until Tuesday, it was to allow Mdluli an opportunity to provide the Pretoria high court with an update on the progress of a review application against his former employer, the police. The police had refused to fund him in the corruption case.
However, it is not clear what the outcome of the review application was after the case was postponed on Tuesday because of a power outage.
Mdluli, former crime intelligence CFO Solly Lazarus and former head of supply chain management Heine Barnard face charges of corruption, fraud and theft allegedly committed between 2008 and 2012 when they were at the helm of the department.
The charges relate to allegations of gross abuse of the police intelligence slush fund, from which Mdluli and his family are said to have benefited.
Mdluli was replaced by Chris Ngcobo.
He was dismissed from the South African Police Service on 17 January 2018. On 30 July 2019, Mdluli was found guilty of kidnapping and assaulting his former lover’s husband. He then began serving a five year prison sentence on 29 September 2020.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that in March 2011, a warrant was issued for Mdluli’s arrest, in connection with the murder of Oupa Ramogibe, who was shot dead on 17 February 1999.
On 31 March, Mdluli handed himself over to the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court, where he and three others were charged with intimidation, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Mdluli faced an additional charge of defeating and obstructing the course of justice.
On 21 September 2011, Mdluli faced further charges of fraud and corruption in the Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria. He was alleged to have employed his friends and family as intelligence operatives and misused police funding to purchase luxury cars.
The fraud and corruption charges against Mdluli were dropped on 14 December 2011. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provisionally withdrew murder charges against Mdluli on 10 April 2012, in order to complete an inquest of the case. Mdluli’s suspension from the SAPS was lifted on Tuesday, 27 March.
Mdluli was alleged to have employed his friends and family as intelligence operatives and misused police funding to purchase luxury cars
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced on 9 May that Mdluli would be moved from crime intelligence to a position in the office of the deputy national police commissioner for operations, Fannie Masemola. On 27 May a spokesperson for acting national police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, announced that Mdluli had been suspended based on allegations that have come to light during the inquest.
After several delays, the inquest hearing was postponed until September 2012. On 2 November, magistrate Jurg Viviers, ruled there was no evidence implicating Mdluli in the murder of Oupa Ramogibe.