Former Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has taken the stand in the Free State High Court and denied any involvement in the bribery and corruption that led to the murder of the CEO for CityMed Day Hospital, Louis Siemens, Volksblad reports.
Motsoaledi testified about apparent cell phone communication between him and Siemens, the MD of a day clinic who wanted to secure a licence for more beds. “It is not my cell phone number. From the WhatsApp messages it is clear Siemens thought he was conversing with me,” Motsoaledi said.
The court earlier heard Siemens paid at least R5.6m in bribes to one of the accused, Kibi Stanley Bakili, for the licences.
Motsoaeldi said his department was not involved in the licensing process and he learnt about the allegations in Bakili’s affidavit that he received R154,000 through newspaper reports. Motsoaledi also revealed in his testimony that he received a strange call from someone who identified himself as “Judge Ledwaba” on 8 November. “The judge said I was in big trouble and implicated by five people in (Siemens’) murder.”
The “judge” instructed him to submit an affidavit.
Motsoaledi gave the cell phone number to the Deputy Minister of State Security who investigated the matter and told him the number doesn’t exist, the report says Motsoaledi told the court.
As previously reported in MedicalBrief, a senior former Free State Health official claims that former Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule were bribed to facilitate the approval of a licence for CityMed Day Hospital in Bloemfontein. The claims, which were rejected by Motsoaledi and Magashule, are contained in court documents related to the murder of Siemens, after he supposedly had paid various role-players R6.5m in bribes.
The trial continues.
[link url="https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Hof/minister-ontken-betrokkenheid-by-siemens-moord-20191114"]Volksblad report (subscription needed)[/link]
See also
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/motsoaledi-and-magashule-named-in-citymed-hit-case/"]Motsoaledi and Magashule named in CityMed ‘hit’ case[/link]