South Africa MPs convicted of fraud in travel scam

JOHANNESBURG - Fourteen current and former South African politicians were convicted of fraud today after they pleaded guilty to abusing travel allowances in one of the biggest corruption scandals in the post-apartheid era.

South Africa's Cape High Court today approved plea bargain deals reached with prosecutors, the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.

Some of those convicted were fined while others were handed suspended sentences, it said. Those fined could choose to serve prison terms instead, it added, without giving details.

Prosecutors said the politicians, most from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), used doctored travel vouchers to book into luxury hotels, hire flashy cars or dine at expensive restaurants at taxpayers' expense.

It was not immediately clear how many of the MPs were still in parliament.

Dubbed "Travelgate" by South African media, the convictions follow several graft cases to hit the ANC, whose former chief whip Tony Yengeni quit in 2003 after he was given a four-year jail sentence for graft.

President Thabo Mbeki fired his deputy Jacob Zuma last year after he was implicated in the fraud and corruption trial of a former financial adviser.

The charges against Zuma were thrown out of court last month after a judge cited flaws in prosecutors' case but the state may re-open the matter.

- REUTERS