Johannesburg – Three former senior managers in the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ), appeared at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday facing charges of contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Yvonne van Niekerk, a former Director of Court Operations, Nkosikhona (Nathi) Mncube, the former OCJ spokesman and Chief Director of Court Administration as well as the former Chief Financial Officer and Bid Adjudication Committee Chairperson, Casper Coetzer are accused of illegally using their positions to negotiate and award an IT contract worth R225 million to international media and technology company, Thomson Reuters.
All three of the accused surrendered themselves to the Midrand South African Police Service.
The contract was related to the national online caselines management system.
Further allegations are that, during the negotiations to renew the contract for caselines online court management system, Coetzer, appointed Van Niekerk and Mncube for the Bid Specification Committee and price negotiations respectively, with the intention of successfully negotiating a bid for a subcontract to a company called ZA Square Consulting (Pty)Ltd (ZAC).
Gauteng NPA Regional Spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said investigations revealed that the accused were listed as directors in ZAC.
They all stood to benefit 30%, stemming from the R225 million contract they were negotiating for, on behalf of the OCJ.
Furthermore, the investigations established that though, all accused disclosed that they were directors of ZAC, they indicated in their disclosures that the company was dormant.
All three of the accused were released on R10 000 each and will return to court on 7 February 2024 for disclosure of the contents of the docket to the accused.
