Controversial businessman Charles Modise, who claimed to have made a R500Â 000 cash donation to South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande, was arrested on Wednesday evening by the Scorpions in Johannesburg after being ”lured” to a meeting by the head of detectives in Gauteng, Commissioner Norman Taioe.
Modise, a building tycoon, claimed he was phoned by Taioe who asked to meet him at Taioe’s office in order to discuss the donation he made to Nzimande. Upon his arrival he was informed that the Scorpions were waiting for him.
Taioe said that ”it didn’t happen quite like that”, but then referred the Mail & Guardian to police spokesperson Govindsamy Mariemuthoo, who said: ”The Scorpions arrested Mr Modise and we will not comment on this case.”
The tycoon was arrested by Shadrak Sibya, the chief investigator from Bloemfontein.
He was driven from Pretoria to Kimberley on Thursday morning and appeared in the regional court in Kimberley on Thursday afternoon, charged with fraud, forgery and uttering. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Tlali Tlali said investigations involving about R35-million have been launched into Modise’s affairs. Modise will remain in custody until next Thursday, when he will appear again. He was not given the option of bail.
All the cases investigated against Modise relate to his business dealings in the Northern Cape. Modise is said to have close ties to African National Congress (ANC) provincial chairperson John Block, the former Northern Cape minister of transport who was fingered in various tenders worth more than R20-million awarded to Modise’s company, Sedipeng Construction.
These allegations have been investigated by the Auditor General and were passed on to the Northern Cape government more than three years ago.
Modise’s arrest comes a couple of weeks after he made the startling revelation that he gave R500Â 000 cash to Congress of South African Trade Unions president Willie Madisha, who claimed he handed the cash, stashed in black plastic bags, to Nzimande.
Nzimande has denied that he ever received the money or ever met Modise.
Modise’s arrest is also happening against the backdrop of a massive anti-corruption initiative driven by SACP Northern Cape politburo member Chris Matlhako against Block and his ANC partners in this province.
Block said that he had been unemployed since 2004.
”Modise has done work for the department [of transport] and I’ve not seen him in years. Many people are arrested by the Scorpions — I have no comment,” Block said.