Mike Sandlana, the leader of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church who was arrested for allegedlybribing a judgeto rule in his favour in a long-standing church succession dispute, says he will plead not guilty to the 19 corruption and money-laundering charges against him. Sandlana told the Pretoria specialised crimes court on Wednesday through his lawyer, Adv Christo Meiring, that he was not aware of the details of the case. The state alleges that Sandlana allegedly offered bribes to Pretoria high court judgePortia Phahlanein exchange for delivering a favourable judgment in the succession dispute.
Phahlane, 57, was allegedly promised a house, and R2m was deposited into a trust account of a conveyancer. She was released on R50,000 bail, and her son, Kagiso, and the church’s spokesperson, Vusi Ndala — who both face corruption and money laundering charges — are out on bail of R10,000 each. Sandlana told the court that he has a life-threatening health condition and is not a flight risk.
He revealed that he has a previous conviction for extortion and possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition. Meiring told the court that Sandlana can pay R10,000 bail and is willing to tap into his savings if it is set higher.
Read Full Article on The Sowetan
