A pastor’s wife accused of stealing R4.1 million from her employer and is since facing fraud related charges, will require her legal team to re-double her defence after a co-accused in the matter reached a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.
The unexpected twist has altered the trajectory of the main trial.
Lingasperi “Leigh” Madurai, a former human resources manager at P&A Fabricators in Pinetown, was due to stand trial in the Pinetown Regional Court on Monday alongside six co-accused, including her husband, Pastor Dhanapalan Madurai, and their daughter, Devaksha Mangaru.
However, the trial stalled before it could properly begin when former creditors clerk Senamile Mthabela pleaded guilty to fraud.
Mthabela admitted to receiving R257,324.66 in fraudulent payments between 2022 and 2024. In terms of a plea and sentence agreement with the State, she was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
As part of the agreement, Mthabela also undertook to testify against her co-accused, prompting the defence to request further particulars from the State before the trial could proceed.
During proceedings on Thursday, prosecutor Andre de Nysschen confirmed that the State had received the defence’s request for further particulars and asked the court for additional time to respond.
“Although the State is in a position to provide most of the information requested, it is important that we address certain misconceptions contained in the request by way of a formal response,” De Nysschen told the court.
The State indicated that it would require at least a week to prepare its response.
Defence counsel Advocate Willy Lombard expressed concern that the matter may not be ready when it returns to court on August 3.
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“We will first have to consider the State’s response and, depending on its contents, may have to bring an application to compel. My concern is that by the time the issue of further particulars is resolved, we will be very close to the trial date,” Lombard said.
He further stated that such an application could significantly delay preparations.
“What is contained in the plea agreement is extensive and incriminating. It permeates all the transactions. I have reservations as to whether we will be ready for trial,” he said.
Lombard also informed the court that he would only be available towards the end of July. However, Magistrate Muntukayise Khumalo said an instructing attorney could appear on the days he was unavailable.
Outside the courthouse, employees of P&A Fabricators staged a picket, carrying placards and calling for justice. The company’s owner and managing director, Gerald Anthony, said the alleged fraud had put employees’ livelihoods at risk.
Magistrate Khumalo postponed the matter to July 17 for the State to file its response to the defence’s request and for all parties to confirm their readiness to proceed to trial.
