While many people were being affected by the prevalence of Covid-19 in 2020, a Mpumalanga Department of Health official financially allegedly benefitted illegally from personal protective equipment (PPE) funding.

This has resulted in a high court preservation order for the forfeiture of a property and three vehicles amounting to millions of rand against the involved individuals.

The Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, said a former secretary in the provincial health department, Sanele Sanderson, allegedly colluded with two service providers in faking the purchasing and delivery of the PPE.

“The director’s secretary engaged herself in alleged fraudulent activities that led to the department suffering a loss of about R5m in 2020,” said Nkosi.

“As a result, the service providers unlawfully benefitted from the products that were never delivered,” added Nkosi.

ALSO READ: Alleged Mpumalanga fraud and corruption accused released on bail

He said Sanderson’s alleged actions resulted in the service providers receiving payment and buying a residential property worth R1.5m in Barberton.

The house was registered under a name of a company called Zanderson Establishment, of which the sole director happened to be Sanderson’s daughter, Yolanda Sanderson.

“The property was later sold for the same amount. Shortly afterwards, the family bought another residential property in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. The house was then registered in a company named SS Umoya, directed by the former secretary, Sanele Sanderson,” said Nkosi.

He said investigations conducted by the Hawks resulted in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Mbombela, ordering the forfeiture of the Sunninghill house and three vehicles on Tuesday, May 20.

“The forfeited house is estimated to be valued at R1.5m and the three vehicles, owned by the two service providers, a Toyota Quantum, a Hyundai light delivery vehicle and a VW Golf, are estimated to have a combined value of R1m,” Nkosi explained.

The provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, said criminal investigations in this matter were ongoing.

“Benefits derived from proceeds of crime will be traced, restrained, forfeited and sold to recoup the state’s losses. This is a clear example of law enforcement entities working in collaboration with one another. The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the NPA and the Asset Investigation Section of the Hawks collaborated and ensured the successful forfeiture. This must send a stern message that we will seize assets, no matter how they are disguised, if bought through proceeds of crime. Crime must not pay,” warned Gerber.