Judge Mareena Opperman dismissed the urgent application with costs on Monday.
Ace Magashule’s former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, has suffered a blow after her urgent application was dismissed with costs on Monday.
Cholota filed an application in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein last week, seeking to have the charges against her withdrawn.
She challenged the legality and constitutionality of her extradition from the United States (US) and her subsequent arrest.
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This move follows her release on R2 500 bail by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 15 August.
Cholota arrived at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on 8 August following her extradition from the US.
She is among those accused, alongside Magashule, in the R255-million Free State asbestos scandal and is facing charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.
Moroadi Cholota urgent application dismissed
Advocate Loyiso Makapela, representing Cholota, informed the high court on Monday that her client sought to bring this urgent application before the pre-trial hearing.
“In our view, we cannot, after the pre-trial, come back and say we have got one more point to raise. We wish to go to the pre-trial having done away with these issues. We feel it will be moot after the pre-trial,” she said.
However, Judge Mareena Opperman questioned the urgency of the matter and enquired why the application was not enrolled through the standard court processes.
“The fact that the pre-trial is set down for September does not prevent you from raising these issues at the pre-trial even and the date of trial is only in April 2025,” Opperman said.
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Makapela argued Cholota wanted to avoid being accused of delaying the trial.
“We simply do not want to have a situation where the applicant is viewed as delaying the proceedings,” the advocate said.
After hearing arguments from the state as well, Opperman dismissed the application and stated that her reasons will follow in due course.
“I cannot allow the case on the roll on the premises of urgency.”
Watch the proceedings below:
This is a developing story
