R520k bail for Bushiris
IN COURT: Bushiris
Cheers could be heard outside the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday as prophet Shepherd Bushiri and three of his co-accused were granted bail totalling R520 000.
However, Magistrate Thandi Theledi stressed the accused were to adhere to strict conditions.
Theledi granted the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church leader R200 000 bail, his wife Mary bail for R200 000 and co-accused Landiwe Ntlokwana Sindani bail for R100 000.
Zethu Mudolo, the wife of the first accused, Willah Mudolo, was granted bail for R20 000.
The accused have to report to their nearest police station on Mondays and Fridays between 6am and 6pm.
They are not allowed to apply for any travel documents, and Bushiri and his wife are only allowed to travel within Gauteng and the North West.
Theledi also stressed they were not to intimidate or interfere with the State’s witnesses.
In addition, Theledi said Bushiri and his wife were barred from preaching about the case, making threats to prosecution, the investigating officers.
All the accused are to return to court on Friday.
The group is facing charges of fraud, theft and money laundering worth R106 million, which took place between 2017 and 2019.
It is alleged they coerced members of the church into an investment within Shepherd Bushiri Investments and Rising Estates.
Despite that Shepherd Bushiri and Rising Estates were not registered in terms of Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act.