Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the former speaker of parliament for South Africa, is accused of 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.
She turned herself into a police station on Thursday morning and appeared in court for the first time.
The lawmaker is charged with accepting bribes in exchange for contract awards while serving as the 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.
She has been released on bail. After weeks of investigations, Ms Mapisa-Nqakula resigned on Wednesday, but said this wasn’t an “indication for admission of guilt”.
The 67-year-old former speaker of parliament for South Africa, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is a veteran of the anti-apartheid movement. She is accused with 12 charges of corruption and one count of money laundering.
She turned herself into a police station on Thursday morning and appeared in court for the first time.
The lawmaker is charged with accepting bribes in exchange for contract awards while serving as the defence minister.
She denied any wrongdoing in court and said: “I do not have a propensity to commit crime.”
