A senior Mogalakwena Local Municipality employee and his company have been arrested in connection with an alleged R45 million tender fraud and corruption scheme.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Wendy Nkabi said the Serious Corruption Investigation teams from Phalaborwa and Polokwane, together with the Hawks Task Team, arrested the 43-year-old suspect and his juristic company on Wednesday.
The arrests form part of Operation Phunyuka Bam’Phethe and follow a complaint involving alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the R45 million tender.
According to Nkabi, the municipal employee allegedly awarded the tender to Flitmove (Pty) Ltd in December 2022 without following proper Supply Chain Management procedures.
Payments under the contract began in January 2023, while services only started between April and May that year after the municipality’s Legal Division threatened to cancel the contract.
The investigation allegedly uncovered that kickbacks were channelled into an account linked to the municipal employee through a company in which he is the sole director.
Nkabi said an operation was conducted in Pretoria on 15 September, but the suspect allegedly evaded arrest.
His whereabouts were subsequently established, leading to his arrest on Wednesday.
The suspect and his company were detained at a police station and are expected to appear before the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Nkabi said the first phase of the investigation had been completed, with further arrests expected.
Provincial Head Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender commended the investigation team for its work in tackling alleged corruption within municipalities.
Govender said corruption deprives communities of proper service delivery and infrastructure.
Nkabi said the investigations are continuing.
