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- Former ANC MP Vincent Smith wants corruption and tax fraud charges against him dropped.
- He intends to make representations to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- His matter has been transferred to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
Former ANC MP Vincent Smith intends making representations to have charges against him reviewed and withdrawn.
Smith's legal representative is expected to make the representations by the end of September.
Smith appeared briefly in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
He is charged with tax fraud, money laundering, corruption and breaching the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.
The court has, however, transferred his matter to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, said the spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate (ID), Sindisiwe Seboka.
Smith's lawyer, Nicholas Kourie, said: "We have been on record [as Smith's legal representative] since 2020 and we are looking forward to reaching finality in our client's matter since it is going to be moved to the high court very soon."
News24 reported that the tax fraud charges stemmed from Smith and his company's failure to disclose taxable income between 9 March 2009 and 11 July 2018, totalling R28 million.
READ | Bosasa corruption trial: Angelo Agrizzi, Vincent Smith to be tried separately
Smith stands accused in his own capacity and as a representative of his company, Euroblitz 48.
He has been charged with corruption for gratifications he allegedly received from Bosasa in the form of security upgrades to his home in Gauteng.
He also faces corruption charges for allegedly accepting further gratifications from Waterfall Golf Estate and CLIDET 69.
According to the ID, Smith also faces charges for allegedly accepting cash transferred into his and his company's bank accounts from Bosasa and other people unknown to the State.
Smith, the former chairperson of the National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, and the former Bosasa COO-turned-whistleblower, Angelo Agrizzi, were arrested and charged with corruption.
The State alleged the payments were made to Smith to stop his opposition to Bosasa during parliamentary committee meetings.
