More offices have been arrested in a R56m corruption case that relates to a 2017 tender to brand national police vehicles. File Picture.
Johannesburg - The alleged brazen manner in which police officers allegedly swindled R56 million from the state was illustrated when more officers joined their colleagues on fraud, theft and corruption charges.
Fifteen more suspects joined 16 accused, who had their court date in June, for an alleged elaborate scam to defraud the SAPS in a R56m procurement deal.
They appeared at the at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
This is related to a 2017 tender to brand national police vehicles, where the alleged intimidation of innocent officers, family favours and misrepresentation of identity and document manipulation granted two companies - Vatika Trading and Kgotho Trading - millions of rand for work supposedly fraudulently acquired.
In total, 32 accused, including 13 civilians, will all reappear in the same court later this month in what the National Prosecuting Authority’s Independent Directorate promised was not the last of the arrests in the matter.
One more accused, who only handed himself over on Sunday, will only appear tomorrow for his formal bail application.
In June, prosecutor advocate Richard Chabalala revealed how Lorrette Joubert, who is accused number one, a white woman and the sole director of Vatika, allegedly misrepresented herself as a black woman to receive the lucrative vehicle tender.
Lieutenant-General Ramahlapi Mokwena and Brigadier James Ramanjalum, two of the accused in the matter, are embroiled in another R84m alleged tender fraud and corruption case, which also includes former national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. The R84m matter, which has allegations of corruption in the branding of police cars in Gauteng, is due to begin trial in November.
Chabalala said: “More arrests can be expected in this case.”
The Star
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