The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Serious Corruption Investigation in collaboration with Hawks’ Head Office Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS), arrested four suspects aged between 38 and 53 for alleged fraud, money laundering and corruption.
Reports indicate that in 2018, a former chief financial officer of a municipality in Rustenburg colluded with a service provider to have her company, which was not on the municipality’s database, claim payments for services using a company which was registered on the municipality’s database. Investigation revealed that payments for alleged services rendered were paid into the bank account of a service provider that was not on the database. These payments, amounting to over R25 million, were allegedly made between December 2018 and May 2019.
Further probe uncovered that funds were transferred from the service provider’s bank account into the bank accounts of three municipal employees; the CFO, secretary to the municipal manager, and a municipal councillor. It is further alleged that three non-municipal employees and their entities also received funds from the service provider’s bank account.
The suspects were charged with multiple counts of fraud, money laundering and corruption. They will appear in the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 March 2025.
The former municipal manager and two service providers are still at large.
