Bushiri And Wife Mary To Spend 2 More Nights Behind Bars
This follows after their bail application was postponed for further agreement.
Bushiri and his wife are being charged with specialised commercial crimes, including, charges of money laundering, theft and fraud.
Bushiri handed himself to the Hawks on Tuesday after his wife Mary, was arrested at their home earlier that day.
According to the Hawks, Prophet Bushiri initially tried to evade arrest, but then he handed himself over in the presence of an “entourage of attorneys”.
Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale said Prophet Bushiri and his other co accused, were arrested for their alleged involvement in fraud and money laundering worth R102m.
The state opposed Bushiri and Mary, together with their co – accused’s bail, arguing that the case was now at an advanced stage.
They said they were in possession of an affidavit from the Department of Home Affairs in which their (Bushiri and his wife Mary) statuses in the country was still unclear, with the department notifying them their stay in South Africa was set to expire.
The High Court ruled that the Home Affairs notice be suspended until Bushiri and his wife pleaded to the money laundering charge.
“The applicant and his wife shall, once their plea to the charges has been noted in case number CC14/2020, be afforded a period of 30 days from date of the plea, within which to make any formal representations (if they so wish or are advised to do so) as envisaged in the notice date 2 August 2020,” the court ruled.
Meanwhile the media was barred from taking any visuals of Bushiri’s bail application proceedings, with the presiding judge saying her ruling was based on the fact the various media houses had failed to bring a proper application before the courts.
Bushiri’s supporters could be seen outside the court, protesting that the prophet and his wife be set free, immediately.-iharare
