Frank Nabolisa, the Nigerian national accused of working in cahoots with the wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, was yesterday denied bail by the Pietermaritzburg high court.

Frank Nabolisa, the Nigerian national accused of working in cahoots with the wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, was yesterday denied bail by the Pietermaritzburg high court.

Judge Sharmaine Balton turned down Nabolisa's bail application, describing him as a serious flight risk. Nabolisa is the co-accused in the drug trafficking trial of Sheryl Cwele, 42.

Cwele was granted bail of R100000 on February 5. The state alleges that she and Nabolisa conspired to recruit Charmaine Moss and Tessa Beetge - now serving an eight-year jail sentence in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after 9,2kg of raw cocaine was found in her luggage.

Balton said she was concerned that Nabolisa had gone in and out of South Africa with fraudulently obtained documents on several occasions.

Nabolisa was also likely to leave the country because the State had a strong case against him. Also, the fact that Nabolisa owed more than R3million to the SA Revenue Service would motivate him to leave the country. He would also be motivated by the sentence he might receive if found guilty, she said.

Nabolisa and Cwele's trial starts on October 11 in Pietermaritzburg. Nabolisa is to appear in the Wynberg magistrate's court in Johannesburg on April 7 to face other drug related charges. - Sapa