The bail hearing of two councillors of the Karasburg Town Council and a local authority official has been postponed to Saturday, because the public prosecutor involved in the hearing was ill on Friday.
Karasburg mayor Maria Veldskoen, management committee chairperson Franciskus Skeyer and the town’s acting chief executive officer, Hansina Isaak, were arrested on Monday on charges of using their offices for gratification and conspiring to commit offences.
They appeared in court before magistrate Samingo Kasaone on Tuesday, and their case was postponed to Friday for a bail hearing.
However, the hearing could not be concluded on Friday, as public prosecutor Ester Jafet was ill, and the hearing was postponed to Saturday morning.
Veldskoen, Skeyer and Isaak, who are represented by defence lawyer Hassan Engelbrecht, remain in custody.
Three weeks ago, the Anti-Corruption Commission descended on the Karasburg Town Council with a wide-ranging investigation into the affairs of the local authority.
The ACC’s investigation came five days after urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni wrote a letter to Veldskoen in which he directed her and the council to reverse a number of decisions and actions he termed “unprocedural”.
Uutoni pointed to the council disregarding the laws and rules governing local authorities.
This includes the appointment of acting chief executive Isaaks from Keetmanshoop, as well as the appointment of Kallie Goliath as personal assistant to Veldskoen, which is not provided for in council structures. Uutoni also accused councillors of changing the signatory powers of the town council’s bank accounts, which he said is a direct violation of local authority councillors’ code of conduct.
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