Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi and City Manager Kagiso Lerutla have been granted R30,000 bail each by the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court.
The pair, who face charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice, spent the long weekend behind bars after judgment in their bail application was reserved on Friday.
Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel Magampa stressed the seriousness of the charges, particularly in relation to Mkhwanazi’s role as a senior law enforcement official.
“The seriousness of the offense must be reflected on the amount fixed by the court,” he said.
“It is in the interest of justice that they are released on bail the charges faced by the applicants are very serious the fact that the first applicant is the police office.”
Magampa added that even though the accused are first-time offenders, they could face severe penalties if convicted.
He added that even if they are first time offenders if found guilty they could face a minimum of 15 years behind bars.
As part of their bail conditions, both men have been ordered to surrender their travel documents before their release.
“The application is granted and bail is set at amount of R30 000 for these applicants the court has considered that those applicants must surrender their passports to the state.”
Mkhwanazi and Lerutla have been in custody since their arrests two weeks ago. Their case has drawn public attention due to the senior positions they hold within the City of Ekurhuleni and the nature of the allegations.
It is alleged that the two officials paid an impersonator R400,000 to appear in court on Lerutla’s behalf for a speeding charge, while Lerutla attended a job interview.
The case has been postponed to 13 May for further investigations, with both accused expected to return to court as the state continues building its case.
