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- A former senior official with the Eastern Cape health department was arrested for R1.9m fraud.
- Jeffery Njova iHe is accused of obtaining departmental contracts for specific suppliers in exchange for bribes.
- He faces 80 counts of fraud.
A former high-ranking official with the Eastern Cape health department appeared in East London Magistrates Court on Wednesday for fraud, allegedly related to R1.9m in bribery.
Members of the Serious Business Crimes Investigation Unit arrested Jeffery Njova, 60, from East London on Wednesday morning.
He faces 80 counts of fraud, Hawks spokesman Lwando Zenzile said.
Zenzile said the former official was accused of obtaining department contracts for certain suppliers in exchange for bribes.
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“It is alleged that during the period 2005 to 2008, Njova unlawfully and deceptively interfered with the department’s procurement processes. Investigations have linked him to several cases in which supply chain management policies were undermined,” Zenzile said .
“In addition to the three mandatory quotes for services that the department would require from vendors, Njova would get three additional quotes from other vendors, making sure they were the lowest. This resulted in Njova improperly pocketing more than R1.9 million. through bribes, “he added. Zenzile.
Njova was released after a warning and the case was postponed until December 7, 2020.
In a separate incident, a notorious suspected drug lord, Chukuwuebuka Kingsley Izuagwu, 31, was arrested by the Hawks in North End, East London on Monday.
The Hawks’ South African Narcotics Control Office (Saneb), assisted by the local Criminal Intelligence Gathering team, arrested him, following a sting operation that took place over four days from 12 to 16 November.
“In the first controlled exchange, the team bought R1,000 in tik, which Izuagwu supplied from his apartment in North End. This was followed by two other orders for a combined value of R10,000 which he delivered to the beachfront Esplanade on two occasions. The team pounced on the target when it delivered the third shipment on the same beach, weighing 20 grams valued at approximately R5,000, “Zenzile said.
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Izuagwu was then taken to his apartment where a search uncovered some 260 grams of tik, valued at R 65,000, Zenzile said.
He added that a small electronic scale, mobile phones, an elephant tusk and more than 50,000 rand in cash were seized for further investigation.
The East London Magistrates Court has postponed the Izuagwu case.
He is in custody and is expected to return to court on December 7, 2020.
