Underworld figure and security company boss Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala made a series of admissions as part of a plea agreement with the state in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday.
An affidavit by a police investigator detailing the admissions was read into the court record.
In his statement, Matlala admitted that he paid R300,000 to Brigadier Rachel Matjeng through a third party’s bank account.
This comes after media reports in May that lawyers representing the Medicare24 Tshwane boss, who lost a lucrative police health services tender after it was cancelled because of irregularities, had been negotiating a plea deal with the state.
Earlier this week, Matlala’s trial on charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering was separated from that of 11 police officers, including Matjeng.
Suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola has also been arrested in connection with the tender scandal.
Masemola faces four counts of allegedly contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
The police officers are expected to return to court on Friday.
The payments to Matjeng were recently revealed during proceedings at the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating allegations of criminality and political interference in the criminal justice system.
At the time of the payments, Matjeng was serving as the head of quality management in crime records and crime scene management within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
She had occupied the position for seven months before Matlala’s company was awarded the SAPS tender in July 2024.
Matlala is also facing charges in three attempted murder and conspiracy cases, including an alleged plot to kill his former girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
Those matters are being heard separately from the corruption case.
On Thursday morning, Matlala pleaded guilty to fraud and corruption charges linked to the R360 million SAPS tender.
The alleged tender kingpin entered into a plea agreement with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act, nearly two years after the tainted contract was awarded to his company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.
He is charged alongside 16 other accused, including several senior police officers who allegedly played a role in the awarding of the tender.
Now-suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola is among those accused and faces charges of violating the Public Finance Management Act in connection with the same matter.
