The long-running SAPS “blue lights” tax fraud case was once again postponed today (16 July 2025), with Magistrate Ashika Ramalal slamming the State for repeated incompetence, human error, and prejudice against the accused. The high-profile case, linked to R19 million in fraudulent tax claims and part of a broader R191 million corruption probe involving emergency police equipment, will now only go to trial in October 2025 — nearly a decade after the alleged crimes occurred.

Ramalal made the ruling on Wednesday in the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court after hearing a defence application to have the matter struck off the roll. Defence lawyers argued that the State’s persistent failure to produce a valid and consistent charge sheet violated their clients’ constitutional right to a fair trial and demonstrated a seven-year pattern of prosecutorial mismanagement.

Despite the scathing criticism, the magistrate ruled that the case should continue and scheduled the matter for trial from 5 October to 16 October 2025, with a continuation date set for 17 October.

“Appalling Mistakes” by State

In her judgment, Ramalal said the State had made “numerous and appalling mistakes,” downplayed these errors as human, and failed to show the professional competence required in a case of this magnitude.

“The State has been careless,” she said. “They’ve consistently failed to provide proper documents and a coherent charge sheet. However, we will postpone the matter for purposes of trial.”

The court’s decision came after Tuesday’s heated proceedings, where the defence accused the State of showing up unprepared, despite repeatedly claiming it was “trial ready.”

During the adjournment, legal teams for the 12 accused spent significant time negotiating available trial dates, further delaying proceedings. The courtroom, already strained from years of rescheduling, saw another frustrating day for all parties involved.

The Accused

Among the accused are former acting national police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane, businessman Vimpie Phineas Manthata, and bookkeeper Judy Rose. They are accused of working together to defraud the tax system during the 2018/2019 financial year through a company called Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, which was contracted to deliver emergency blue light equipment to the South African Police Service.

The broader investigation includes allegations of inflated invoices, irregular contracts, and payments for work not done — all of which form part of the R191 million procurement scandal that rocked SAPS in recent years.

Lawyers representing Accused No. 7 (Joseph Mulaiwa) and Accused No. 10 (Manthata) indicated they would return to court to seek further particulars from the State and clarify contradictions in the charge sheet.

Disputes Over Legal Representation and Fair Process

The courtroom also heard arguments that one of the accused — known as Accused No. 9 — was unrepresented at a previous appearance, yet the State pushed ahead in an attempt to separate charges and proceed without a complete legal team.

Defence lawyers objected strongly, saying that such actions undermined the fairness of the trial and showed the State’s lack of concern for constitutional rights.

“The State has had nearly a decade to get this right, and yet they cannot produce a finalised charge sheet,” said one attorney, adding that the accused cannot be expected to defend themselves properly if the allegations against them remain unclear or keep changing.

Private Investigator’s Role Questioned

Adding to the drama, defence attorney Piet du Plessis — representing Phahlane — introduced documents referencing an interview conducted by Bizz News with well-known private investigator Paul O’Sullivan. Du Plessis questioned O’Sullivan’s involvement in SAPS investigations and raised concerns about bias, noting that O’Sullivan had reportedly claimed he was owed money for his investigative work.

O’Sullivan, however, fired back, stating that his non-profit organisation Forensics for Justice has played a vital role in exposing deep-rooted corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.

“In this matter, the people making false and defamatory allegations are so-called attorneys and/or counsel acting for the corrupt underworld of Gauteng,” O’Sullivan said in a statement.

State Maintains It’s Ready

Despite the criticism, prosecutor T.R. Chabalala insisted that the State is finally prepared to move forward with the trial. Speaking after Wednesday’s ruling, Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), said they welcomed the court’s decision and were committed to seeing the matter through.

“We acknowledge the setbacks in this case,” Mamothame said. “But we are confident that the State will be ready to proceed and bring all relevant evidence to court when the trial begins in October 2025.”

A Case Symbolising Justice Delayed

The SAPS “blue lights” case has become a symbol of delays and dysfunction in South Africa’s justice system. First brought forward more than seven years ago, the matter has seen multiple postponements, administrative blunders, and mounting public frustration over the lack of accountability for high-level corruption.

Legal experts warn that if the trial fails to deliver meaningful outcomes, it could further erode public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

For now, the accused remain out on bail, and South Africans will have to wait until late 2025 for the full story to unfold — nearly 10 years after the scandal first surfaced.