The Potchefstroom magistrates’ court has released on bail Kholiwe Moses Janda (51) for his alleged involvement in the missing R1.7 million from the JB Marks’ coffers.
The suspect was released on R100 000 bail on Tuesday following his arrest in January.
The matter has been postponed to 5 March 2019, pending further investigation.
NW Hawks’ spokesperson, Capt Tlangelani Rikhotso says additional arrests have not been ruled out.
According to Rikhotso, it is alleged that in May 2018, approximately R1.7 Million was deposited into the suspect’s business account. ‘The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks and the investigation ensued.’
Rikhotso says the investigations by the Serious Commercial Crime investigation unit of the Hawks revealed that no services had been rendered by the suspect’s company to warrant the alleged payment by the municipality.
She added that the suspect was subsequently arrested at his home in Soweto on 24 January 2019.
Last July, the Potchefstroom Herald reported that three employees from the municipality were suspended after the money went missing. At that time, Willie Maphosa, the council spokesperson said ‘this should be seen only as a manner of allowing investigations to proceed and never as prejudicial to the employees concerned,’ he stressed.
The municipality could not explain how such a huge amount of money had gone through without the authorisation of the chief financial officer.
The newspaper received a tip-off from a member of the public that the Hawks had conducted a raid at the municipality at that time. The source shed light on what had transpired. ‘R1.7 million was deposited into some business account in the Gauteng province. Thereafter, the recipient of the money cashed the amount, closed the bank account and deregistered the CIPRO (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission) account.’
https://www.citizen.co.za/potchefstroom-herald/50105/hawks-investigate-r1-7-million-goes-missing-municipality/
