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Suspended chief magistrate Nair pleads not guilty to corruption

Published

Desmond Nair, the suspended Pretoria chief magistrate, denied corruption charges at the start of his trial on Monday. The charges relate to home security upgrades worth about R200,000 that Bosasa allegedly paid for.

The trial is in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court. The state called its first witness, an employee of a Bosasa subsidiary. Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, confirmed this in a statement on the first day.

The directorate alleges that Nair received the upgrades at his Gauteng home in September 2016. They included an electric fence, an alarm system, perimeter beams and a CCTV system. It says African Global Operations, formerly Bosasa, provided them.

The directorate says Nair received the upgrades in exchange for acting in a dishonest or improper manner as an officer of the judiciary. Nair was suspended from his duties in February 2020.

Key facts

Who
Desmond Nair (Suspended Pretoria chief magistrate, accused in corruption trial); Henry Mamothame (Spokesperson, Investigating Directorate Against Corruption); African Global Operations (Formerly Bosasa; allegedly provided the security upgrades); Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Prosecuting body)
What
Nair, suspended Pretoria chief magistrate, pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption linked to alleged Bosasa-funded home security upgrades worth about R200,000. The state began leading evidence through its first witness, an employee of a Bosasa subsidiary.
When
26 October 2026
Where
Pretoria, Gauteng
Status
Reported

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