Bail decision expected in R3.5m Eastern Cape bribery case

The East London magistrate's court will on Thursday hand down judgment in the bail application by three men who allegedly attempted to bribe investigating officials with R3.5m to halt their investigation into a R36m national police tender they were allegedly involved in.

Eastern Cape chief director of community safety and liaison Neil Naidoo and two businessmen, Kenny Govender and Matthew Pillay, appeared in court on Tuesday on charges of corruption, theft and defeating the ends of justice.

The investigation related to an ongoing contract awarded to KJP trading Pty Ltd for the supply of furniture to various police offices across the country for two years. Naidoo stands accused of initiating talks between the investigators and the two businessmen to halt  the investigations on March 12.

In an undercover operation, Pillay and Govender allegedly agreed to pay R3.5m by April 5.

They stand accused of paying R1.8m over to Naidoo on April 14. It is alleged Naidoo took R300,000 for himself and delivered R1.5m to the undercover police officers. 

The rest was to be paid at a later date.

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