South Africa Speaker of Parliament charged with 12 counts of corruption

South Africa’s ex-Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been charged with 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.

She made her first court appearance after handing herself over to a police station on Thursday morning.

The politician is accused of soliciting bribes in return for awarding contracts during her time as defence minister.

She denied any wrongdoing in court and said: “I do not have a propensity to commit crime.”

But prosecutor Bheki Manyathi told Pretoria Magistrates’ Court there was “ample evidence” against Ms Mapisa-Nqakula.

Source: BBC