Free State Premier’s statement on withdrawal of criminal charges against MEC Mathabo Leeto

Free State Premier, Hon, Ace Magashule, notes and welcomes the outcomes of the court case against the MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Hon. Mathabo Leeto. On Friday, 4 November 2016, the Welkom District Court found Hon. Leeto not guilty of more than 200 charges of alleged fraud, corruption, money laundering and accepting bribes. The charges date back to between 2007 and 2009, when Hon. Leeto was the Executive Mayor of Matjhabeng Local Municipality.

Following the National Prosecutions Authority’s decision to charge her, Hon. Leeto made representations calling for the review of the decision to charge her. After careful consideration of evidence, no wrong doing was established and there were no bases to continue with the prosecution.

The Free State executive council is relieved by the court’s decision to withdraw charges against Hon. Leeto, and strongly believes that this is an affirmation of the principle to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The Free State executive council wishes to thank Hon. Leeto for respecting and subjecting herself to the due processes of the law.

“It takes great leadership for an elected representative, especially a Member of the Executive Council, to humble himself/herself to the authorities. We are vindicated in our strong belief that any person is innocent until proven guilty by a court of law” – Premier Magashule said.

Premier Ace Magashule further calls upon all South Africans to respect the outcomes of the legal processes. The withdrawal of the charges against Hon. Leeto gives her an opportunity, together with the entire Free State executive council, to focus on the people’s mandate to ensure radical socio-economic transformation for the people of the Free State.

Statement issued by Tiisetso Makhele, Free State Premier’s Spokesperson, 7 November 2016