Fraud and corruption charges against former cabinet minister Zizi Kodwa and former EOH Holdings executive Jehan Mackay have been withdrawn by the state.

According to media reports, the charges were withdrawn in court on Friday. News service EWN posted on X that “after reviewing their submission, the director of public prosecutions decided to drop the charges”, while SABC News confirmed the case had been dropped and the two men were free to go.

Kodwa had been accused of taking bribes from Mackay – the two are understood to be friends – in exchange for government contracts.

The decision by the director of public prosecutions follows a legal bid by Kodwa to have the corruption charges against him dropped.

According to a report by News24 at the time, Kodwa’s lawyer, Zola Majavu, told the specialised commercial crime court in Palm Ridge south of Johannesburg that the bulk of representations he made to the Gauteng director of public prosecutions on Kodwa’s behalf pointed to shortcomings in the state’s case against him. Mackay made similar representations.

Kodwa was arrested in June over alleged corruption and bribery linked to EOH. Mackay was alleged to have channelled payments of R1.6-million to Kodwa.

Later on Friday, National Prosecuting Authority head Shamila Batohi said her office will review the decision to withdraw corruption charges against the two men. An NPA spokesman said the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions had received a request from the Hawks that Batohi review the decision.

Centre stage

TechCentral reported in 2020 that Mackay had taken centre stage in corruption allegations involving payments to senior ANC figures, including Kodwa, who was the party’s national spokesman at the time.

Suspicious payments were made by Mackay, from his personal bank account, to Kodwa and to Siyabulela Sintwa, a personal assistant to former President Jacob Zuma at the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters, evidence introduced at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture showed.

Read: EOH Holdings to be renamed

EOH subsidiary Tactical Software Solutions (TSS) – founded by Mackay and his father Danny and sold to EOH in 2011 for R130.5-million – allegedly paid off corrupt politicians by making payments to Mackay’s personal bank account at FNB, from which he then transferred money to various ANC bigwigs, supposedly for favours for winning government contracts. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media

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