Ekurhuleni city manager accused of R10k payment to cover up culpable homicide in N12 crash
The senior official and co-accused were arrested over the weekend in connection with a reopened 2019 case in which he and Julius Mkhwanazi allegedly arranged for another person to impersonate Lerutla in court.
Fresh allegations have emerged linking the arrested Ekurhuleni city manager, Kagiso Lerutla, to a R10 000 payment shortly after a fatal 2021 N12 crash, allegedly in an attempt to conceal a culpable homicide case involving the death of another driver.
The allegations were placed on record on Thursday, April 23, during bail proceedings at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court, where Lerutla and co-accused suspended EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi are applying for bail in an unrelated matter involving fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
The senior officials were arrested over the weekend in connection with a reopened 2019 case in which Lerutla is accused of failing to appear in court after a speeding offence.
Investigators allege that he and Mkhwanazi arranged for another person to impersonate him in court while he attended an interview for the CFO position. The matter later resurfaced following a tip-off to a SAPS task team.
However, during its bail opposition, the state introduced further allegations, telling the court that Lerutla was allegedly driving a black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon on the N12 eastbound shortly after midnight in May 2021 when he was involved in a collision with a Hyundai vehicle. The driver of the Hyundai reportedly died at the scene.
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According to the state’s version presented in court, EMPD officers who attended the scene allegedly assisted in arranging for Lerutla to go to the hospital for medical treatment due to serious injuries.
He was reportedly treated and discharged the same day without being admitted.
A culpable homicide case was opened at Bedfordview SAPS following the incident, but the docket was later recorded as withdrawn in August 2023. The state told the court that the original docket is now missing from SAPS storage, where it was supposed to be kept.
Investigators have since initiated a reconstruction of the docket, which the state said is at an advanced stage. This process also includes an investigation into how the original docket went missing.
In further allegations placed before the court, the state claims that immediately after the crash, a tow truck driver was allegedly offered R10,000 by Lerutla to remove the deceased’s body from the scene before other emergency or law enforcement role-players arrived.
The allegations form part of the state’s broader argument opposing bail for both accused, with prosecutors maintaining concerns about possible interference with witnesses and the integrity of ongoing investigations.
Bail proceedings are set to continue today, with a ruling expected after the matter resumes.
