The Springbok Magistrate Court has postponed the cases of two former officials from the Nama-Khoi Municipality due to ongoing investigations and the absence of legal representation.
Aubrey Baardman (66) and William Bowers (55) made their first court appearance on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. This comes after an issued summon by members of the Kimberley Serious Corruption Investigation unit on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
The duo face allegations of violating the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and obstructing the administration of justice.
Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, spokesperson for the provincial Hawks, indicated that the allegations trace back to 2014, when Baardman, the former municipal manager, authorized irregular expenditures that was not included in the budget breaching the MFMA.
“The case was scheduled for trial in 2017.” However, before to the start of the trial, Bowers, the former chief financial officer, presented documents that challenged the charges, leading the prosecution to withdraw the case based on the information presented.
“The Serious Corruption Investigation conducted extensive probe into the matter and subsequently resubmitted the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a determination. The DPP’s office then decided to proceed with charges against both individuals,” stated Thebe.
