How R50,000 bail was granted to Judge Phahlane in the case of church succession bribery

International Pentecostal Holiness Church Succession Case

After Frederick Modise’s son Glayton Modise passed away in 2016, the IPHC, which he had founded in the 1960s, was the focus of a protracted legal battle.

Three groups are competing for the role of IPHC “comforter”: Tshepiso and Leonard, Modise’s sons, and Sandlana, a third candidate who says she is Modise’s biological son.

Gauteng High Court Judge Portia Dipuo Phahlane was arrested by the Hawks on suspicion of accepting a bribe worth millions of rand in a long-running church leadership dispute. Judges Matter, a civil society organization, has called on her to immediately resign from her judicial duties.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) detained four individuals late Tuesday night in relation to a significant money-laundering and corruption investigation, including Phahlane.

Following grave accusations of bribery, Judges Matter has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend Gauteng High Court Judge Portia Phahlane immediately.

Judge Portia Dipuo Phahlane of the Gauteng High Court was freed on R50,000 bail on Wednesday afternoon after it was alleged that she had accepted a bribe worth millions of rand in a protracted dispute over church leadership.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) detained Phahlane and three other people on Tuesday night, including her son. The International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC) succession dispute is connected to a significant corruption and money-laundering investigation, which includes the arrests.

On Wednesday morning, the group made an appearance in the Pretoria Specialized Commercial Crimes Court. The suspects range in age from 32 to 64. They are accused of money laundering and corruption. In 2021, Phahlane was appointed as a judge. Allegations that she was paid in exchange for favorable decisions in the IPHC succession battle are the reason behind her arrest.

It is thought that this is the first instance of a sitting South African judge facing criminal charges for alleged misconduct in a case they were presiding over.