Convicted Cape Town businessman Ridwan Rajah has been granted bail of R10 000 by the Western Cape High Court.
Also read: Cape Town businessman found guilty of theft and perjury
Rajah was convicted on charges of theft and perjury by the Cape Town High Court on 24 April after it was found that a subcontractor was never paid during a tender awarded by the Regional Bid Adjudication Committee (RBAC) of the Department of Public Works (DPW).
At the time of the ruling, Rajah was out on warning which was withdrawn without the State and defence legal teams addressing the court with regard to bail. IOL reports that Rajah’s family brought an urgent application before the high court after it alleged that the imprisonment was a ‘travesty of justice’ and a ‘malicious persecution’ of the family.
Advocate William King, senior counsel for the family, argued that the court needs to explain the actual amount that Rajah stole, and added that he was a model citizen as he attended the case hearing for more than two and a half years of the trial.
He also argued that Rajah was overseas but immediately returned when the magistrate brought the date for judgement forward from 3 May to 24 April. Further to this, advocate Aurelia Harmse added that the times Rajah could not attend court were due to circumstances beyond his control.
Judge Daniel Thulare granted Rajah bail of R10 000, pending the finalisation of the case.
In a statement by the South African Police Service (SAPS), Rajah received the tender while representing Good Hope Plasterers CC t/a Good Hope Construction. The work involved doing an internal and external renovation to the Parliamentary precinct in Cape Town.
While Good Hope Construction subcontracted, a company by the name of Winlite Aluminium Windows and Doors were to provide aluminium curtain walls for the project worth approximately R519 000.
‘After the work was certified to be finally completed, the accused submitted the final account to the Department of Public Works for consideration and approval in the sum of over R10.8 million. This final account was not accepted by the Department of Public Works. Rajah instituted motion proceedings in the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town. Rajah stated in his founding affidavit that the contract value of R10 820 422.98, excluded the sum of R455 296.00 (excluding VAT) in respect of an advance allegedly paid by Good Hope Construction to Winlite, for goods manufactured and kept off-site.’
The Department of Public Works made a payment of R718 867.29 to Good Hope Construction. This amount included an advance payment of R455 296.30 excluding VAT.
On 26 October 2015, the Department of Public Works was ordered by the Cape Town High Court to amend the total cost amount and make an additional payment of R455 296 so that Good Hope Construction could pay Winlite. A payment if R519 037.90 was made to Good Hope Construction in November.
However, investigations revealed that Winlite never received any payments during the initial contract after the high court’s decision.
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