The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Free State says there was no basis to continue with the prosecution against the MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.
This comes after more than 200 charges of alleged fraud, corruption, money laundering and accepting bribes were dropped against Mathabo Leeto in the Welkom District Court on 4 November.
The charges date back to between 2007 and 2009 when Leeto was still the Executive Mayor of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality. NPA spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, says no wrongdoing was established after Leeto had called for a review of the charges against her.
“She wrote to the national office requesting them to review all the charges against her. The decision was then taken that the NPA will no longer continue with all the charges against Leeto.
“The other seven accused, however, still face the same charges and their case was postponed to 21 February 2017,” says Shuping.
The Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, welcomed the decision of the NPA to drop the charges against Leeto.
-Mark Steenbok
