The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has rounded off four former senior state officials on Thursday morning for alleged tender irregularities committed at the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), in 2007.
The long-drawn-out case by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation emanates from February 2007, wherein the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) submitted a proposal to the GDoH to continue with an information technology maintenance programme at the department.
The total cost of such a project was meant to be no more than R57 million for a period of three years. The contract was instead awarded to a private entity at a whooping cost of around R1.2 billion without following due tender procedures.
The four former state officials which included a former Head of Department (HoD), who was also an Accounting Officer at the time, Chief Director of Information Communication and Technology, Head of Supply Chain Management and the Deputy Director for Executive Support allegedly received kickbacks for their role in ensuring that the contract was awarded to an undeserving entity.
Two private company directors who unduly benefited from the tender are yet to be charged along together with their two companies. The said directors are reportedly outside of the country but steps have already been initiated to ensure that they are accounted for.
The former state officials are expected to appear at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday 22 October 2020. They are to face charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
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