This Day in History: July 19, 1979
Dr Eschel Rhoodie, former South African secretary of information, was initially tracked down by a journalist at Ecuador. Rhoodie had fled South Africa shortly after testifying before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Roelof Erasmus. The commission was investigating the allegations that the budget of the Department of Information was misappropriated to fund secret projects which was later known as Information Scandal. From Ecuador Rhoodie proceeded to Great Britain where he failed to secure political asylum. After leaving Britain he went to France, where he was eventually arrested at the French Riviera resort Juan les Pins by the French authorities and was held in custody for 88 days pending extradition to South Africa.
His trial was held at the Pretoria Supreme Court in 1979. His charges included seven counts of fraud, alternatively theft, involving a total of R63 205 of government money. He was convicted of five charges of fraud and sentenced to an effective six years' imprisonment. On 9 October he was granted bail of R90 000 pending an appeal. A year later Rhoodie was acquitted by the Appeal Court on all charges.
Sources:
The information scandal: africacrime-mystery.co.za
History: south-african-hotels.com
South African History Online: sahistory.org