Two suspects between the ages of 29 and 55 are expected to appear before the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 01 August 2022 where they will be facing charges of fraud, corruption, uttering, forgery, and Contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
Their arrests originate from an incident that took place in 2020 where the Municipal Manager of Maluti A Phofung local municipality authorized a service provider for security services without a tender being advertised.
It is further reported that the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) wrote several letters to the Municipal Manager advising him to advertise the tender for the security but he failed to do so. An estimated amount of R58 million was paid to the service provider irregularly for a period of two years.
The matter was reported to the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bethlehem for further investigation which culminated to the duo handing themselves over to the Hawks’ Investigating officers this afternoon and being charged.
More arrests are imminent.