NPA finally taking several state capture, PPE graft cases to court

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will take bold and innovative steps to bring justice and restitution to the nation when dealing with corruption and state capture cases.

This follows the announcement by National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi during the NPA’s briefing to parliament’s portfolio committee in March this year that they were committed to enrolling nine seminal matters before the end of last month.

According to NPA spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga, this is part of their constitutional mandate to act against high-level corruption.

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Last week, former MEC for agriculture in the Free State Mosebenzi Zwane appeared in court on charges of corruption. Zwane and two co-accused facs charges of fraud, theft, money laundering and corruption in connection with the Estina dairy farm project in the Free State, where more than R200 million of public funds were looted.

The plan for the seminal cases was coordinated by an NPA task force working with the SA Police Service’s (Saps) Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations and other law enforcement partners.

Mhaga said Estina case and other cases were seminal because they exemplify the workings of state capture.

Some other seminal cases enrolled in the past six months are:

Saps

R54 million tender corruption: Former national commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and others appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 21 September. They face charges related to R54 million procurement corruption in 2016.

Transnet

R398.4 million corruption case in which former Transnet Group chief executive officer (CEO) Brian Molefe, former group chief financial officer (CFO) Anoj Singh, as well as Regiments Capital directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha, were charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and fraud on 29 August.

They joined former Transnet Group CEO Siyabonga Gama, former group CFO Garry Pita and others charged on 27 May. A key focus of this case included McKinsey SA (represented by former principal Vigas Sagar) and former employee, Goitseone Mangope, who were brought before a court on 30 September to be joined as co-accused.

“Transnet is one of the primary and emblematic sites of massive looting of state funds at the peak of the state capture era. Enrolling these cases is, therefore, an important milestone and outcome of our complex investigations,” said Mhaga.

Tegeta Exploration

This is an R107.5 million corruption case pertaining to how a former deputy director general in the department of mineral resources, former Tegeta Exploration and Resources director and a former trustee of Optimum Coal Mine allegedly illegally utilised mine rehabilitation funds for the Optimum Coal Mine trust account and Koornfontein Mine trust account in 2016.

Enrolled a few weeks ago, the accused are Ronica Ragavan and others. Asea Brown Boveri and Impulse: Four former employees appeared before court on 12 July, charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering in the R549.6 million case related to Eskom projects. Eskom was at the core of state capture.

Saps R8.5 million PPE contract

This case involves corruption of R8.5 million pertaining to the procurement of Saps Personal Protective Equipment and plumbing material.

SA Express

Matter relating to an allegedly unlawful contract between the North West department of community safety and transport and SA Express for the reintroduction of flights at Mahikeng and Pilanesberg Airports. Over R221 million paid out by the department to SA Express was laundered through a scheme which involved Koroneka and others.

Winnie Madikizela Mandela Museum

This relates to alleged misuse of money in a project coordinated by the department of sports, arts and culture and Lejweleputswa district municipality to rehabilitate the museum.

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