EFF MP Mpho Ramakatsa is faced with the prospect of paying off a legal bill close to R800000 after party leader Julius Malema washed his hands of him.

Ramakatsa told Sowetan yesterday that Malema had undertaken to settle the bill he raked up in legal fees during his days in the ANC.

In June 2012 Ramakatsa successfully took the ANC to court to overturn the outcome of the Free State elective conference where current chairman and premier Ace Magashule was re-elected. Ramakatsa was not awarded costs.

Yesterday Malema said the EFF paid R100000 towards Ramakatsa's bill after he approached the party for help.

Malema said Ramakatsa will now have to pay the remaining R788000 legal bill.

However, Ramakatsa said: "The deal was that the money must be settled by the EFF. On how and from which account, I don't know.

"People must not go around like this was a personal legal battle and that the organisation had wrongfully bailed me out. That legal battle led to the formation of the EFF."

But Malema said the party decided to make a "once-off payment" of R100000 from its main account. "He has to settle it. We intervened because he said he didn't have money to rescue his house. We felt it was a good thing to do that from party coffers because we said at the time we can't have a leader of the revolution de-focused by enemies."

The EFF's bailout for Ramakatsa using party funds has also raised concern among the suspended MPs.

Suspended MP Andile Mngxitama called for a meeting with Ramakatsa. Said Mngxitama: "We have not said money should be paid back but said there must be a thorough audit of EFF finances. Millions were misspent. His case is not as bad as other s where party leaders buy alcohol and groceries . there is no indication Ramakatsa benefited personally."

nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za