Former top advocate and Limpopo Safety MEC Seth Nthai pleads guilty to corruption
In 2009, Nthai attempted to solicit a R5 million bribe from Italian businessman Mario Marcenaro.
Nthai was acting for the South African government in a mining rights dispute before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague at the time, and the bribe was meant to be in exchange for him using his influence to push through a settlement.
His name was removed from the roll of advocates in 2013, and he was criminally charged with three counts of corruption in 2022.
Nthai pleaded not guilty before Judge Dario Dosio in October last year, but Dosio then recused himself.
On Wednesday, Nthai made a new deal with the State, pleading guilty to one count and receiving a fine of R500 000 - or two years behind bars - in exchange.
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