Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the final court order for the National Prosecuting Authority to permanently seize assets worth R325m linked to businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela, reports SA News.
The Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) gave the go-ahead this week for the NPA to attach luxury homes and exotic cars – valued at an eye-watering R327m – belonging to Maumela, who has been implicated as a kingpin in the Tembisa Hospital looting scandal, but who has yet to be formally arrested and charged.
The assets include top-end properties in Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape, while the vehicles include a clutch of Lamborghinis, among others.
Motsoaledi pleaded with the Assets Forfeiture Unit to expedite the recovery process.
“We are also calling upon law enforcement agencies to complete the job through the arrest and criminal prosecution of …Maumela and his ilk. No one should be allowed to help themselves to resources which were meant for the sick – only a sick society will allow that to happen without any far-reaching and concrete repercussions,” he said on Monday.
Gauteng Health CFO Babita Deokaran was assassinated in 2021 after spotting the fraud: NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the forfeiture application was the result of the extensive forensic investigations precipitated by her report, and to which Maumela was eventually linked.
A review by the Specialised Audit Services Unit (SAS) of the National Treasury confirmed the large-scale corruption reported by Deokaran, with 14 entities controlled by the Maumela syndicate having benefited from Tembisa contracts worth more than R400m, reports Sowetan.
An analysis of the flow of funds showed that most of it was used to buy assets, pay bribes to officials and cover bidders, and fund the extravagant lifestyles of syndicate members.
Only a small portion was actually attributed to paying for goods and services that were actually delivered under the contracts.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Tembisa officials helped kingpin score R25m in two hours
Tembisa Hospital kingpin loses more supercars
Boats, Bentleys and buildings seized in Tembisa probe asset haul