Twelve people, including current and former Limpopo Health officials, have appeared in a Bloemfontein court on allegations of defrauding the department of R8.7m over a five-year period.
Two of them are officials employed by the Free State health department while one is an HOD who resigned and four are retired employees, according to a News24 report.
They were joined in court by five businessmen whose companies were accused of receiving non-existing work payments, regional NPA spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said in a statement. The accused face 304 charges of relating to the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, forgery, uttering, fraud, corruption and money laundering. The current employees of the department are Motsumi Polori and Kenosi Legobate.
With them in court were the department's former head David Motau and retired employees of the department Mietjies Johns, John Chakane, Maria Mabitle and Lebohang Beqeze. The company directors Tsietsi Polori, Thabo Moeti, Mavuso Kwababa, Simon Njonga and Charity Moloi, also appeared.
They run Tsa Rona Consultancy, Azrago, Land Breeze Trading, Amakholwa Consultancy Training and Zen Communications. The state alleges that between January 2011 and December 2015 the officials facilitated and approved payments of claims for services that these companies did not render
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