Court rejects Moroadi Cholota’s bid to have arrest declared unlawful.

By Lehlohonolo Lehana.

The Free State High Court has dismissed, with costs, the urgent application filed by Moroadi Cholota, who was seeking to have her arrest declared unlawful.

The former personal assistant of corruption-accused Ace Magashule is facing charges of fraud and corruption.

In her urgent application, Cholota contended that the charges against her were unconstitutional and invalid, asserting that the state’s conduct during her extradition rendered her arrest unlawful. She maintained that there was no evidence linking her to any fraudulent activities, stating, “The state has no evidence to prove I engaged in fraud, corruption, or money laundering.

Judge Denise Greyling Coetzer dismissed the application with costs in a brief judgement in Bloemfontein on Thursday.

Cholota is one of 18 accused in relation to the R255 million asbestos removal tender.

While pursuing studies in the United States, Cholota was arrested earlier this year following an extradition request by South African authorities. She was subsequently extradited and arrived in South Africa on 8 August 2024.

She was granted R2 500 bail and began her various court bids to have her overturned back in August.

Her vehicles valued at R1.4 million were attached by the sheriff on 12 December and three of her bank accounts have subsequently been attached.

The trial is set to start in April 2025, with the prosecution and state agreeing last July on a two-month window for the legal proceedings.

The State has previously argued that Magashule and Cholota used their positions to either solicit payments from service providers for the benefit of other government officials or possible own benefit or to defraud the department.

Scroll to Top