CHARLES MOLELE
THE Hawks are expected to make high-profile arrests on Thursday related to the personal protective equipment (PPE) tender fraud and corruption, according to Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya, head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
Lebeya, accompanied by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), briefed the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on the progress of COVID-19 corruption investigations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic will be dealt with harshly.
His own spokesperson Khusela Diko has taken special leave amid allegations that her husband Thandisizwe Diko received part of a R2.2bn PPE tender awarded to 75 companies by the Gauteng Health Department.
Lebeya revealed that the Hawks were currently investigating about 154 PPE corruption cases, with 13 of the cases having been conducted and completed.
He said six criminal cases were already on court rolls.
Only one case was provisionally withdrawn.
Most cases under investigation were found in Gauteng and Free State, followed by Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal, Lebeya told Parliament.
Other corruption-related cases and enquiries under investigation include application of relief funds through the UIF-TERS (eight), Solidarity fund (two), the abuse of NGO’s (three) and procurement fraud (38), said Lebeya.
Lebeya further revealed that the DPCI was still receiving an influx of cases as the Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu approaches the conclusion of his investigations.
“There is a huge influx of cases. The AG’s Special Report showed us that 80,000 exceptions/illegal payments have been identified, which will need to be investigated,” he said.
The SIU said in a presentation to Parliament that it had uncovered instances where PPE was overpriced, procurement rules flouted and services not delivered despite money being paid.
The SIU said in August it was investigating tenders worth R5 billion.
Lebeya told Parliament that the DPCI has established teams in all provinces including Head Office.
All teams are led by officers at a level of Brigadier, comprising of all capabilities within the DPCI.
“A Major General from the Priority Crime Specialised Investigation has been appointed to oversee and monitor all investigations relating to COVID-19 pandemic nationally as well as to assist with any challenges that may arise from the investigations,” said Lebeya.
“These teams are working in collaboration with the NPA as well as the SIU in the Provinces.”
(COMPILED BY INSIDE POLITICS STAFF)
