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The Freight Community’s Weekly Newspaper for Import / Export decision makers – on subscription
FRIDAY 1 May 2009 NO. 1860
Bothma case stalled until September BY Alan Peat The case against Dr Piet Bothma, former CE of the Transport Education and Training Authority (Teta), has stalled until at least September 1. Bothma has been charged with fraud after investing what was originally estimated to be R251.8-million of Teta’s
funds in Fidentia – the finance group that collapsed in 2007 with huge amounts of its supposed investment monies missing. A key figure in the Fidentia scandal, Steve Goodwin, revealed in his plea agreement last week with the Cape High Court – that led to him being jailed for an effective 10 years – that he had played a key
Playing ball … By Carrie Curzon Disadvantaged school kids in Montague were treated to an inspiring soccer session with local stars last week when the Laser Group launched its commitment to the ‘Let’s Play a Million Campaign’. In true sporting spirit in the run-up to FIFA 2010, Laser has announced its sponsorship of R250 000 that will ensure the distribution of 10 000 soccer
balls for needy primary schools around the country. Laser has partnered with SuperSport’s ‘Let’s Play a Million Campaign’ – a joint initiative with Unicef and the Department of Education’s Sport for Development campaign. Said Laser’s CEO Philip Hayes: “All kids love sport and we are hopefully providing them with an alternative to the crime and other social ills in their communities.”
Kicking off their campaign ... Laser CEO Philip Hayes and chairman Michael Fuller hand out some of the 10 000 soccer balls to be distributed to the needy.
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role in getting Teta to transfer investments to Fidentia's control. To do this, he said he paid Bothma bribes totalling R4.6-m, which were disguised first as commission payments, then as a sale of shares in a shell company that had no assets. Although the plea agreement does not mention
the amount of the investments, it is reported that, according to other prosecution documents, it involved promissory notes worth just over R100-m. Another part of Goodwin’s deal is that he will testify in criminal proceedings against his former associate, ex-Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown. But a Cape High Court
application is pending in which Brown is seeking an order to stop his prosecution on embezzlement charges, or to at least stop the investigation. And, according to a Cape Town journalist source, this will not be heard till September 1, and until then the other trials can go no further.