Mountain Rise police fraud case nears end
Former commander of the
Mountain Rise police station, HariramBadul. Picture: NIYANTA SINGH
Pietermaritzburg -
After a two-year marathon trial, the case involving
the former commander of the Mountain Rise police station, HariramBadul, and
four others, is drawing to an end with closing arguments starting on Monday.
Badul stood in the dock of the Pietermaritzburg
High Court along with former police captain Suresh Naraindath, former police
superintendent Yunus Khan and police constable Patrick Nkabini.
The fifth man, businessman SigamoneyPillay, was in
hospital owing to ill health.
They face 128 charges, ranging from fraud and
racketeering to theft and corruption, all allegedly committed between 2007 and
2009.
Badul is accused of being the kingpin of the
“criminal enterprise”, while the others are accused of being his lackeys.
The State alleges the objective of the enterprise
was to procure goods and services on behalf of the police station; however, it
only benefited the men.
The allegations against the four policemen included
that they procured a conference system for the station at an inflated price,
dividing the difference between the actual value and amount paid out among
themselves.
Naraindath and Nkabini allegedly took cash back
from suppliers in lieu of goods procured and paid the money to Badul.
Naraindath, Khan and Nkabini were allegedly paid
overtime when none had worked.
They allegedly received incentives in exchange for
their co-operation in the enterprise’s activities.
Pillay is accused of billing the SAPS for building
work which was done at premises belonging to Badul and his associates.
His defence was that his hands were clean as he had
rendered all the services he was paid for.
State advocate Wendy Greef called for Badul to be
found guilty on most of the charges.
There were two racketeering charges, one of which
all the men were charged with.
Greef asked the court to find them all guilty of
it.
The five men had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Arguments continue on Tuesday.
The Mercury
