Louis Nchindo in court on Monday

The substantive case, which was due to start on July 6 at Village Magistrate's Court was on June 26 stayed by Justice Maruping Dibotelo, who is also presiding over the current case.

Nchindo and his co-accused face 36 counts of graft. The ruling came after the suspects filed an urgent application to have the main case postponed after an order by Regional Magistrate Lot Moroka that they should take their pleas and that trial should start on July 6.