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Motaung: R140m involved

Johannesburg - Reports indicate that the fraud charges against Kaizer Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung - who appeared in court on Thursday - is in excess of R140m.

Motaung was granted R50 000 bail by the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

His co-accused, Herbert Theledi, was also granted bail of R50 000, Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela said.

The two, both directors at Lefika Emerging Equity, face charges of forgery and fraud relating to the building of the Mbombela stadium in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. The matter was postponed to October 15.

The court prohibited the two men from having contact with any Mbombela municipality employees while out on bail.
They may not come within 500m of the Mbombela municipal offices. The Hawks arrested them on Wednesday.

According to iol.co.za, the charges read to Motaung and his co-accused were one count of fraud of R143m and a second count of fraud or alternatively theft of R1m. Both charges relate to the Mbombela Stadium tender saga.

Eyewitness News reported that Motaung, son of Kaizer Chiefs founder Kaizer Motaung, told the court his assets were worth R12m, his car worth another R4m, and that he earned R100 000 a month.

A third accused, Chris Grib, handed himself to the police in Cape Town on Wednesday night, Polela said.

He was expected to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The trio allegedly forged SA Revenue Service documents to get a contract to build the Mbombela stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Some Kaizer Chiefs stalwarts showed their support for Motaung outside the court building.

"We are worried about him [Motaung] and that's why we have come here, to show our support," Themba Sibabane said.

"Even though he stole some money, we are still glad we have the stadium."

Other protesters who gathered outside the court sang a different tune.

Donned in T-shirts bearing images of slain Mbombela municipal speaker Jimmy Mohlala's face, protesters held posters that reading: "Who killed Jimmy", "What happened to Jimmy" and "Stop corruption".

Mohlala was shot dead in January 2009 after blowing the whistle on companies and individuals he claimed were involved in tender corruption.

His family said the R50 000 bail Motaung was granted was not enough.

"It should have been R100 000 [bail], and if he is convicted he should be given 100 years in prison, since the death sentence is no longer allowed," Mohlala's sister Joyce Mohlala said. "We came here because our homeboy (close friend) was killed and from this, we want to find out who killed him," Jackson Siboza said.

"This is only the beginning... this is finally the light at the end of the tunnel."

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