Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, a central figure in South Africa’s major ongoing police corruption investigation, has pleaded guilty to corruption, fraud and money laundering charges as part of a deal with state prosecutors.
He is accused of bribing senior police officials to win a 360 million rand ($22 million, £16.5 million) bid for his health company, Medicare24, in 2024.
The plea deal, which has not yet been accepted by a magistrate, will force Matlala to give evidence against “high-ranking officials,” state spokesman Santhos Manilall said.
Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is one of those facing charges in connection with the incident. He denied the charges.
Manilall told a court in the capital Pretoria that it took nearly two months of negotiations to get the deal done.
If accepted, Matlala, 49, would serve eight years in prison.
The state’s attorney said the “sacrifice” of a more lenient sentence was worth it because “for the first time, the defendant gave us details we didn’t know about.”
As part of the deal, Matlala must give honest and candid testimony at any future trial. Magistrates at Pretoria Crown Court are expected to rule on the convictions next week.
Matlala, who also faces a separate murder charge that he denies, has been identified by witnesses in a corruption inquiry known as the Madlanga Commission as part of a drug trafficking cartel that infiltrated police.
He did not comment on the accusation but denied personally knowing any senior police officers and politicians while giving evidence at a parallel parliamentary corruption inquiry last year.
Matlala has yet to appear before the Madlanga committee.
Witnesses at the investigation, which began last September, alleged collusion between criminal underworld figures and senior police officials.
The group was set up in July after police Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi claimed organized crime groups had infiltrated the government.
