Three senior government officials were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Team in the early hours of 18 February 2021, in Bloemfontein in relation to the asbestos investigation facing charges of corruption.
The allegations relate to a contract that was awarded through a procurement process that was done in a fraudulent and corrupt manner. The contract was meant to identify and remove asbestos roofs in the Free State province. During that period the department incurred unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure worth over R255 million.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate court on Friday, 19 February 2021.
