Latest news with #Calitz
Belfast Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ruhan Pretorius and Ben Calitz lead the Northern Knights' charge in inter-pro win over Munster
Ireland white-ball captain Paul Stirling returned to form with a 33-ball 40 (four fours, two sixes), while Cade Carmichael continued his consistent vein of form with a 34. Josh Manley's two wickets had the contest very much in the balance at 101 for five in the 15th over, but the complexion of the game changed entirely with the arrival of Pretorius to join Calitz. The pair pummelled the Munster attack, sharing a stand of 75, of which 73 came from the last five overs. Pretorius cleared the ropes three times and also hit four boundaries in a 20-ball 40, while Calitz almost matched him blow for blow in an 18-ball unbeaten 34 (four fours, one six) as they took 23 from the final over bowled by Liam McCarthy in a final Knights total of 177 for six. Munster hopes rested on the shoulders of Stephen Doheny, who was the Knights nemesis in Cork with a competition record 150. What a difference a week makes as this time he was dismissed by stand-in skipper Matthew Humphreys for 0, well caught by James McCollum. Kian Hilton made a quick-fire 35 but at 62 for four just before the midway point, Munster were well behind the required rate. John McNally showed why he is so highly rated in Irish circles with a top-score of 38, adding 58 for the fifth wicket with Sulieman Safi (26), but just as they looked to be threatening a late charge, Pretorius broke the stand, quickly followed by Humphreys' second wicket which accounted for McNally. The only downside for the hosts was the failure to secure a bonus point, as late runs from McCarthy and Zubair Khan brought the winning margin down to just 25 runs, ending on 152 for six. In the first match of the day, leaders Leinster Lightning secured their fourth consecutive bonus-point victory to extend their lead at the top. The Warriors had started well with the opening duo of Andy Balbirnie and Sam Topping (25) adding 64 in eight overs. The dismissal of Balbirnie for a top-score of 44 (six fours) was the turning point in the contest as 78 for one suddenly saw a flurry of wickets and at 89 for five, the Warriors were in trouble. They consolidated to finish at 143 for eight, with two wickets for the impressive duo of Barry McCarthy and Matthew Hollard. Leinster set about the chase in positive fashion with openers Tim Tector (34) and Chris de Freitas (22) adding 63 before both fell in consecutive balls. Any hopes the Warriors entertained of a collapse were quickly dispelled as the international duo of Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker set about their attack. They shared an unbroken third-wicket stand of 84 in 49 balls, with both making 39. Tucker was especially destructive hitting three maximums and two fours in his 21-ball knock, while Tector's 28-ball innings included three fours and one six, sealing the eight-wicket win in the 16th over. The final day of the Stormont series starts on Thursday with the Warriors facing Munster while in the afternoon match, the Northern Knights will be hoping to close the gap at the top with leaders Leinster Lightning. Meanwhile, on the lower ground at Stormont, the Under-15 girls' inter-provincial series began with a clash between the two Ulster sides. The North West scored 138 for four, with Mansi Bhavsar and Jodie Spence both scoring an impressive 47 in a fourth-wicket stand of 84. Ella Wasson then went and took three wickets, with a further two apiece for Erin Mowbray, Anna McGurk and Mansi Bhavsar to clinch a convincing 68-run win.
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Free State asbestos trial: State accused of ruining life of Magashule's ex-PA Moroadi Cholota
Moroadi Cholota's bursary was cancelled before her extradition to South Africa last year. Moroadi Cholota ( former PA to former Free State premier Ace Magashule) appears at Bloemfontein High Court on 5 May 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Mlungisi Louw Former Free State premier Ace Magashule's lawyer has accused the state of destroying the life of his former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, by extraditing her back to the country. Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) investigator Benjamin Calitz was under cross-examination in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Thursday, as proceedings continued in the R255 million asbestos tender corruption case. A trial-within-a-trial is currently underway, with Cholota contesting the court's jurisdiction and the legality of her extradition from the United States (US), where she had been studying. Cholota is accused of facilitating illicit financial transactions on Magashule's behalf. She was initially listed as a state witness following her 2019 testimony before the State Capture Commission, but was later charged when she declined to implicate her former boss. Cross-examination highlights inconsistencies During Thursday's trial proceedings, Magashule's lawyer, Advocate Laurence Hodes, scrutinised Calitz's September 2021 trip to the US, where Cholota had been interviewed twice. Referring to Calitz's affidavit, Hodes pointed out contradictions in his statement about email correspondence between Cholota and service providers. Calitz had explained that a thorough investigation, supported by documentary evidence, had uncovered sufficient grounds to charge Cholota for her involvement in the asbestos tender. ALSO READ: 'What if she went on holiday': Hawks investigator grilled on 'surprise' US trip for Magashule's ex-PA However, the investigating officer highlighted that he suspected Cholota had not acted on her own accord when she sent emails requesting payments from suppliers. 'So on the one hand, you've said there was enough to charge her, had evidence against, on the other hand, you concede to that you didn't suspect that she had done so on her own accord. Do you see the contradiction in that?' Hodes asked the state witness. Calitz agreed. He acknowledged that despite evidence implicating Cholota, she was initially not charged due to her cooperation. Watch the trial below: The Hawks investigator again denied that any threats were made to Cholota during the interviews, stating that he informed her that refusal to cooperate could result in her being treated as a suspect. 'I wouldn't call it a threat or intimidation. I would rather say it's advice given, some people might see it like that,' Calitz said. Calitz had conceded on Wednesday that the state had hoped Cholota would implicate Magashule. Accusations over Moroadi Cholota's bursary cancellation Later in the proceedings, Hodes accused the state of damaging Cholota's life by extraditing her. 'The state is trying to protect themselves because they actually ruined her life by cancelling her academic career and ensuring that she was brought back to South Africa, 'I will prove through the exchange of emails and notices,' the lawyer said. READ MORE: Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition Hodes further argued that Calitz 'played an instrumental role' in the cancellation of Cholota's bursary. However, the witness denied this claim. 'His denial now is false,' Hodes responded. State prosecutor Tammy McPherson intervened, arguing that this issue was not related to the jurisdictional challenge. Moroadi Cholota extradition The court previously heard that Cholota had been studying at Bay Atlantic University in Washington D.C on a bursary awarded by the Free State government in 2019. Calitz testified that Cholota was warned in August 2022 that her bursary could be revoked due to her lack of cooperation. She reportedly failed twice to submit reasons why it should not be terminated. Her bursary was officially withdrawn in October 2022. Cholota was arrested in Baltimore in April 2024 and extradited to South Africa in August that year. She is currently out on R2 500 bail after spending nearly five months in custody between the US and South Africa. NOW READ: Lawyer says Magashule's former PA Moroadi Cholota is being charged based on evidence she gave as state witness
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
‘What if she went on holiday': Hawks investigator grilled on ‘surprise' US trip for Magashule's ex-PA
Moroadi Cholota was extradited to South Africa from the US last August. Former Free State premier Ace Magashule and former PA Moroadi Cholota at Bloemfontein High Court on 23 April 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Mlungisi Louw A Hawks investigator faced tough questioning from former Free State premier Ace Magashule's lawyer regarding the extradition of his former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota. The trial-within-a-trial resumed at the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, following delays caused by the ill health of state witness Benjamin Calitz. Calitz, the investigating officer in the R255 million asbestos corruption case, has been testifying in the trial-within-a-trial. The hearing follows Judge Phillip Loubser's decision to allow Cholota to challenge both the court's jurisdiction to prosecute her and the legality of her extradition from the United States (US). Cholota stands accused of facilitating illicit financial transactions on behalf of Magashule. Court rules defence can cross-examine witness After Calitz delivered his evidence-in-chief and was cross-examined last week by Cholota's legal representative, proceedings resumed with arguments from Advocate Laurence Hodes. Hodes represents Magashule and controversial businessman Edwin Sodi and sought permission to cross-examine Calitz. He argued that the state attempted to manipulate Cholota – originally a state witness – into implicating Magashule by extraditing her. ALSO READ: Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition His request for cross-examination was based on a transcript of an interview conducted between Calitz and Cholota in the US in September 2021. Loubser ruled that Hodes could proceed with the cross-examination of Calitz but imposed strict limitations. 'The court will not allow any question to the present witness which will have a bearing on the merits against accused 13 [Magashule].' Cop grilled over Moroadi Cholota interview During the cross-examination, Hodes challenged Calitz over whether Cholota had been informed in advance of his trip to the US to interview her. 'Instead, you remained silent and arrived without any prior notification to her,' Hodes said – an assertion Calitz did not dispute. 'You went all the way to America; everything was sorted out, but not once did you bother to say, 'Let's make sure she's there. What if she went on holiday, or what if she is not available?' READ MORE: Lawyer says Magashule's former PA Moroadi Cholota is being charged based on evidence she gave as state witness Calitz responded by clarifying that it had not been his responsibility to handle communication. The issue of prior notification was also raised last week by Cholota's lawyer, Advocate Loyiso Makapela, who argued that his client had been 'ambushed' when investigators arrived unannounced with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at her Baltimore residence, leaving her unprepared for the interview. SA authorities sought clarification from Moroadi Cholota While Calitz agreed with Hodes that evidence existed implicating Cholota, he firmly denied that this was used to pressure her into turning against Magashule. The witness contended that the purpose of the trip to the US was to clarify email communications in which Magashule was named. He argued that Cholota's explanation could potentially have cleared her of wrongdoing. Calitz also rejected the notion that Cholota would have become a Section 204 witness simply by implicating Magashule. 'I don't think that would be a 204; that would be an explanation on the questions that we asked,' he said. A witness who may be implicated in a crime can testify against co-accused individuals in exchange for immunity from prosecution under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA). Cholota was extradited to South Africa in August 2024 to face charges alongside Magashule and others related to fraud and corruption. Money laundering charges against her were recently dropped after the US declined to extradite her on those specific grounds. The trial will continue on Wednesday. NOW READ: Free State asbestos trial: Sodi challenges state capture evidence as Magashule complains about witness list
Eyewitness News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
FS asbestos corruption trial: Investigators accused of ambushing Cholota in US
BLOEMFONTEIN - Fresh evidence in the Free State asbestos corruption trial has detailed how investigators tried to solicit damning evidence about former Premier Ace Magashule's alleged dodgy dealings. A new transcript admitted into evidence is at the centre of proceedings in the trial-within-a-trial set to determine if the extradition of Magashule's personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, from the US was lawful. READ: Court issues warrant of arrest for one of the accused in FS asbestos corruption case Initially a State witness in the matter, Cholota was hauled back to South Africa last year after she was added as an accused alongside her former boss. After a back and forth between the lead State prosecutor and Magashule's lawyer on the transcript introduced by Advocate Lawrence Hodes this week, cross-examination of the first witness began. After State prosecutors denied having ever seen the transcript on Tuesday, Hawks lead investigator Benjamin Calitz confirmed that the context of his interview with Cholota in the US in 2021 was correct, aside from a few gaps. Cholota's lawyer, Advocate Loyiso Makapela, said it appeared that her client was ambushed when investigators arrived unannounced with the FBI at her dorm in the US and gave her no time to wash up or to prepare for the interview. She then put this to the lead investigator on the stand. Makapela: "I put it to you again, Captain Calitz, that the reason for this entire exercise was to get Ms Cholota to incriminate herself or to uncover some type of irregularity in her scholarship that could then be used against her to pressure her into incriminating Ace Magashule. What do you say about that?" Calitz: "I do not agree." Makapela: "And you said the point of this exercise was...?" Calitz: "To clarify certain things.' The former Free State Premier is accused of turning a blind eye to the R255 million asbestos tender. A total of 17 people are on trial, including businessman Edwin Sodi and former Free State officials. They face a range of charges including fraud, corruption and money laundering.
