NPA allegedly scared of charging 30 City of Joburg officials ’who took bribes’ in R7.5m fraud case

Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is embroiled in an alleged R7.5million fraud cover-up following the arrest of a businessman who allegedly failed to deliver 500 desktop computers to the City of Joburg.

Allegations are that the NPA is “scared” to charge more than 30 city officials, who allegedly received more than R2m in bribes from fraud-accused Deon Pillay to give him preferential treatment when tenders were awarded.

Pillay made his first appearance on Tuesday in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court, sitting in Palmridge,.

He is accused of not delivering on a more than R7.5m contract to supply 500 computers to the city in June 2014.

The Star has seen a detailed list of more than 30 officials’ names from Joburg and its entities that outlined the amounts that city employees allegedly received from Pillay.

This includes an official who sources said received R1m to allegedly falsify records that the 500 computers were delivered when they were not.

The official, whose name is known to The Star, was dismissed last year following an internal hearing which found her guilty of aiding the alleged fraud by Pillay, insiders said.

However, senior sources close to the investigation said prosecutor Emma Tlou refused to charge additional people in the matter despite being given “voluminous evidence” to indict “Pillay’s foot soldiers”.

Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the authority was not reneging on bringing others to book.

“The investigations are still ongoing and have not closed. The investigations will guide us on whether or not more people will be charged,” Mjonondwane said on Tuesday.

In February 2018, former Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba first blew the lid on the alleged fraudulent incident, including that an official had allegedly received a R1m bribe.

“I was also informed that the service provider (Pillay) colluded with one of our officials who steals printer cartridges from our stores and sells them to the service provider, who then sells it back to the city,” Mashaba had alleged.

Pillay, however, blamed his “estranged sister” for being the “driving force” behind his arrest and prosecution after he removed her from his Esizwe Technology company for alleged fraud.

Pillay added in an affidavit, read out in court that he was innocent.

“My arrest came as a surprise to me. In 2018, the SAPS and NPA found that there was no case against me to answer. I deny having committed any offence,” Pillay asserted.

Lucky Sindane, spokesperson for Joburg’s Group Forensic Investigation Service (GFIS), conceded that they were aware of officials who supposedly took bribes from Pillay.

But Sindane refused to confirm any names to The Star, saying that GFIS didn’t want to compromise the case.

“These officials are still working for the city, unfortunately. One official was dismissed last year after an internal hearing found that she had received R1m from Pillay.

“We will be working with law enforcement and hope that more people will be criminally charged and dismissed from the city,” Sindane said.

He refused to be drawn on claims that the NPA was hindering the probe.

Pillay was granted R50000 bail and was due to return to court next month.

The Star