A senior Eastern Cape government official accused of submitting a false Matric certificate returned to the East London Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday as his fraud trial continues.
Sizwe Kupelo, a spokesperson for the Health Department, faces a possible prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted of falsifying the school certificate. The charge forms part of a wider probe that has named several Eastern Cape government employees in alleged academic fraud.
Magistrate’s Court Judge dismissed Kupelo’s application for a discharge under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act. That means the state’s case will proceed and the defence must now call witnesses to present its side.
The defence is expected to call its first witness when the matter continues tomorrow.
Kupelo has denied the charge. His legal team argued earlier that the case should be dropped, but the court ruled otherwise. The state will continue to present evidence linking him to the allegedly falsified document.
The matter has drawn attention because a number of public servants in the province have been implicated in similar allegations, prompting questions about vetting and record checks in government departments.
Proceedings are set to resume tomorrow at the East London Magistrate’s Court.