The Financial Intelligence Centre has its hands full with investigations into Covid-19 fraud, and has helped recover criminal assets relating to PPE and TERS (Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme) fraud amounting to R1.8bn.
Thus far, it has secured 113 cases, with 47 prosecutions and finalised 44 convictions, reports the Cape Argus.
Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkdonzi said: “We have always maintained that there ought to be law enforcement agencies working with speed to prosecute all of those implicated in the PPE corruption scandal. Our members and workers died in the midst of Covid-19 without any personal protective equipment as a result of the corruption that had taken place.”
Last week, Mpumalanga businessman Sipho Mapalala appeared before the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court accused of corruption and bribery of an SIU investigator. He attempted to bribe the investigator with R50 000 to make a Covid-19 procurement probe – into service provider Gugu Bulungu – “disappear”.
The case has been postponed to 5 April for sentencing.
In a separate matter, Nachy Britz, her husband, Gerhardus Albertus Britz, and her father, Hendrick Jaap Grimbeek, were arrested by the Hawks last week and appeared in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court for six counts of fraud.
The state intends to prove the trio misled a complainant to purchase PPE, indicating that Nacht Britz was a legitimate supplier of PPE worth R6.8m.
One of the biggest PPE cases involved four SANDF members who are facing allegations related to PPE fraud and corruption to the tune of R273m.
The Public Disclosure Report of the Western Cape Government for the 2022/23 financial year revealed that the Covid-19 expenditure in the province for PPE transactions totalled R285 419 995.
The report also details the top PPE commodities and expenditures, such as PPE non-sterile examination gloves totalled at R114.40m, surgical masks for health care workers at R75.51m, respiratory masks at R4.6m, multi-purpose sanitisers and disinfectants at R3.95m and protective overalls at R2.07m, with PPE body bags at R0.46m.
Cape Argus PressReader article – R1.8bn bill for Covid PPE fraud (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
SIU probe into fraudulent PPE contracts now exceeds R14bn
SIU hands Defence Force PPE corruption cases to NPA
‘Imported’ PPE for SAPS marked up 400%, sourced from Dis-Chem