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The Hawks have arrested more senior government officials who are allegedly linked to fraudulent activities.
Tiro Ramatlhatse, Gallo Images, Sowetan
The Hawks have arrested more senior government officials who are allegedly linked to fraudulent activities.
In the Northwest on Friday, the JB Marks Township Executive Mayor and its director were arrested on charges of fraud and theft involving R5 million.
In a statement issued by the Northwest branch of the Hawks, the investigative unit said Kgotso Moses Khumalo and Cyril Hendry appeared in Potchefstroom Magistrates Court.
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“The arrests stem from investigations by the Hawks Serious Business Crimes Investigation [Unit] into a trust account where a total of approximately R5 million was deposited destined for the municipality of JB Marks, “said Hawks provincial spokesman Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso.
However, the funds were never declared to the Auditor General. Through investigations, it was discovered that a series of payments were allegedly made from the trust to the suspects’ private bank accounts.
“It is alleged that the trust funds were misrepresented to make it appear that they were being used to pay for services rendered to the municipality, while the invoices were allegedly falsified. In some cases, the funds were allegedly paid into the accounts of service providers for services that were never rendered, from then on, the money would supposedly be collected by the suspects. “
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Rikhotso said investigations into the matter will continue and further arrests cannot be ruled out.
The case was postponed until December 1 for further investigation and the two were released after receiving warnings and ordered not to approach the municipality and refrain from contacting witnesses until the conclusion of the case.
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