Maruleng senior official arrested for fraud and corruption
A senior Maruleng official was arrested by the Hawks for allegedly authorising fraudulent payments worth R770k at Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality.
PHALABORWA – The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit in Limpopo has arrested a 58-year-old senior official currently employed at the Maruleng Local Municipality for alleged fraud and corruption. The arrest took place on Monday, October 14.
According to the Hawks, the suspect was acting municipal manager at the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality in July 2015 when he allegedly appointed a company to assist with the monitoring and restoration of a major power outage in the area without following proper procurement procedures.
A few days after the appointment, the company reportedly submitted multiple claims for payment without rendering any services. All claims were processed and paid, resulting in an estimated loss of over R770 000 to the municipality.
The matter was referred to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team, which conducted a detailed inquiry that led to the suspect’s arrest.
The Hawks say more arrests are imminent.
Provincial Hawks head Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender commended the investigative team for its efforts.
