From left: Northern Cape HOD, Dr Dion Theys, CFO, Mosimanegape Gaborone and Deputy Director Finance, Victor Nyokong, during their bail application in their Kimberley District Court. The Prosecution is opposing their bail. Picture: NPA
Senior officials in the Northern Cape Department of Health appeared in court over allegations of personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud amounting to millions of rand, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Friday.
Department head, Dr Dion Theys, 56; Chief Financial Officer, Mosimanegape Gaborone, 54; and deputy director of finance Victor Nyokong, 39, appeared in the Kimberley District Court on Thursday alongside nine other accused.
NPA spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane said Theys’ arrest came a week after he was convicted and sentenced by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, emanating from three leasing contracts amounting to more than R13 million.
On Thursday, the accused faced charges of Contravention of Provisions of Section 86(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), fraud, corruption as well as money laundering.
“The case derives from PPE contracts that were unlawfully awarded and paid to companies by the Department of Health without following proper procurement processes, amounting to more than R16 million,” said Senokoatsane.
The other accused are:
– Montgomery Lifa Faas, 49, Director of Supply Chain Management.
– Siyabulela Booi, 38, Director of Administration, Assistant of Supply Chain Management.
– Kenyaditswe McDonald Visser, 44, MKV Investment (PTY) LTD.
– Goitsemodimo Dibueng Moseki, 50, Director of MKV Investment(PTY) LTD, Assistant Director: Communicable.
– Elizabeth Dibueng Manyetsa, 63, Deputy Director Nursing: Communicable Diseases. (retired)
– Kelebogile Agnes Bogatso, 58, Director of Stilofirn (PTY) LTD.
The accused were arrested after concentrated multi-disciplinary investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) and the Specialised Investigations Unit (SIU), working closely with the NPA's Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) and the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU).
Faas, Booi, and Bogatso were each granted bail of R10,000.
Visser was granted bail of R50,000.
Moseki and Manyetsa were each granted bail of R5,000.
“The bail conditions are that the accused should surrender their passports to the authorities, not intimidate witnesses, and not interfere with the witnesses.”
The matter was adjourned to October 16.
“The State opposed the bail of Theys, Gaborone, and Nyokong.”
The judgment for their bail application will be delivered on Monday.
They have been remanded in custody.
The Hawks in the Northern Cape, in collaboration with the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), secured a preservation order of a combined value of R5.3 million against the government officials.
“A piece of land/erf valued at R2.5 million and a luxury vehicle, a Bentley Continental GT worth R2.8 million forms part of the preserved assets,” said Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe.
The order was granted by Northern Cape High Court in June.
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