The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court Dismisses Section 174 Application In The Trial Of Dr Dion Theys
The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court (SCCC) in Kimberley, has dismissed the Section 174 Application brought by Dr Dion Theys. Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, involves the right of an accused to be discharged from the offence, he has allegedly committed where, at the close of the State’s case, there is no evidence on which the court may draw the accused to the charge.
The Former Acting HOD for the Northern Cape Department of Health is on trial for contravening Section 86(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). Dr Theys, who was the accounting officer during the commissioning of the crime, is accused of having concluded three lease agreements with JP Hugo Trading, amounting to more than R96 million, without following proper PFMA prescripts and procurement processes.
The trial which started on 29 March 20.…, saw the Prosecution led by Senior Adv. Isaac Mphela called on several witnesses to come and testify during the trial against the accused. One of the first witnesses called, was the Director-General of the Northern Cape Provincial Government Mr Justice Bekebeke, who outlined the processes of PFMA and how government personnel should work when utilizing the public purse, specifically applying the procurement processes.
The trial will reconvene on 21 September 2022, where the defence is expected to call its witnesses to the stand. The accused is out on bail of R30000 and one of the bail conditions is to surrender his passport to the authorities.
For further information:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
073 423 3539