The Hawks swooped on six fraud and corruption suspects this month.
Two weeks ago, members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) arrested the six service providers in connection with fraud and corruption at the Amajuba District Municipality.
This followed investigations by the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.
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According to SAPS KwaZulu-Natal, the suspects were believed to have colluded with municipal officials ‘to circumvent bidding practices to procure goods and services’.
This was done to shortcut legal procurement processes.
“The [municipality] allegedly awarded more than R13-million worth of tenders to the accused during the period 2011/2012 financial year,” said SAPS’ provincial Media Centre.
The six suspects – aged between 30 and 65 years of age – appeared briefly at the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court and were granted bail of between R1 000 and R3 000.
They are due to appear in court again on March 14.
“More arrests are imminent.”
In an official statement from the Office of the Mayor, Dr Musa Ngubane, the district municipality initiative an investigation after learning of the alleged defrauding of the organisation.
An independent consulting firm was appointed to handle this.
Dr Ngubane and current leadership said the municipality would engage with relevant authorities, and deferred all inquiries to the Hawks.
“Together with the current Municipal Manager, we came to know about this matter when the Auditor General wanted progress made [into] the forensic investigation that was allegedly initiated sometime in 2012. Whilst we were trying to locate the report, we learnt, through the media, about the arrest of six people.”
Dr Ngubane said he municipality would engage authorities on the background and process of investigations and would brief District Council with the details in-hand.
If employees were involved, necessary steps would be taken against them.
Dr Ngubane added the municipality appreciated the financial resources committed to the investigation, which had not gone to waste.
“The municipality will afford the investigating institutions space to execute their duties without any interference that might jeopardise the investigation.”
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