Five to appear in court over R56-million SAPS tender fraud case

The matter involves the multi-million rand SAPS vehicle branding and marking case and some of the suspects are attached to the police, Pretoria Rekord reports.

Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the arrests were due to the continued efforts to address corruption within the ranks of the police service.

“The arrest of the five brings the number of those behind bars to 41 in the multi-million rand SAPS vehicle branding and marking case,” she said.

Mathe said on Friday last week, the special national anti-corruption task team assigned to the investigating directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) arrested three more people and two others had since been re-arrested for perjury.

“Those arrested on Friday, include a colonel, an administrative employee within the SAPS supply chain management division and three civilians.

“All five face a range of charges including fraud, corruption, money laundering and perjury.”

She said two of the suspects were initially arrested in June, and were released on R5 000 bail each, along with the first batch of accused arrested in the same month.

Mathe said the pair had been re-arrested by the investigating directorate who uncovered that the pair lied under oath about not having previous convictions.

“They have been rearrested and each faces an additional charge of perjury, fraud and failure to disclose previous convictions. The possibility of more arrests in this case cannot be ruled out.”

The head of the investigating directorate Hermione Cronje said efforts had been intensified to get those who orchestrated and partook in looting the system to account.

SAPS national commissioner General Khehla John Sitole said: “The arrest of our own must send a stern warning to all law enforcement officers to steer clear of criminality and corruption at all times. The latest arrests are indicative that we are committed in fighting corruption within our ranks.”

Meanwhile, both the SAPS and investigative directorate welcomed the outcome of the labour court to dismiss with costs, the urgent application brought by seven of the accused through their labour union Popcru to challenge the internal disciplinary processes currently in progress within the SAPS, as unfair labour practice.

“The court dismissed the application with costs, saying it did not have jurisdiction to intervene in incomplete disciplinary proceedings,” said Mathe.