Mashaba said on Monday that the charges against Bovu had indeed been withdrawn. However‚ that did not mean that Bovu was off the hook. In fact‚ he said he had evidence of further allegations against Bovu.
"Upon investigating how Councillor Bovu could have possibly been acquitted‚ without the City as the complainant and owner of the land sold being consulted‚ we have come to learn that the case was withdrawn because of material witnesses being unwilling to testify‚" Mashaba said. "It was a far stretch for the ANC to claim that Councillor Bovu had been found not guilty on all charges‚ in fact the allegations are yet to be tested by a court of law."
Bovu‚ the former Johannesburg MMC of Housing‚ and an alleged accomplice in January turned themselves over to the police after being accused of trying to illegally sell a city-owned property stand in Vlakfontein in 2006.
Before the fraud case‚ Bovu was ANC regional deputy secretary.
Battle over Bovu: Mashaba vows to fight case against ANC councillor
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has disputed claims by the ANC in the city that councillor Dan Bovu has been acquitted of fraud charges.
The ANC said on Friday that Bovu would resume all party duties and return to council after the National Prosecuting Authority had abandoned a case against him.
Mashaba said on Monday that the charges against Bovu had indeed been withdrawn. However‚ that did not mean that Bovu was off the hook. In fact‚ he said he had evidence of further allegations against Bovu.
"Upon investigating how Councillor Bovu could have possibly been acquitted‚ without the City as the complainant and owner of the land sold being consulted‚ we have come to learn that the case was withdrawn because of material witnesses being unwilling to testify‚" Mashaba said. "It was a far stretch for the ANC to claim that Councillor Bovu had been found not guilty on all charges‚ in fact the allegations are yet to be tested by a court of law."
Bovu‚ the former Johannesburg MMC of Housing‚ and an alleged accomplice in January turned themselves over to the police after being accused of trying to illegally sell a city-owned property stand in Vlakfontein in 2006.
Before the fraud case‚ Bovu was ANC regional deputy secretary.