The Hawks provincial spokesperson, Nomthandazo Mnisi, says a 52-year-old former senior practitioner allegedly received bribes to the tune of R60 000. She says the alleged crime allegedly took place between 2009 and 2010. 

According to Mnisi, this multimillion rand company, which she names as “Trifecta Holdings (Pty) Ltd", allegedly paid the money to this senior practitioner in the Facility Management and Auxiliary Support of Sassa. Mnisi says by virtue of her position, the 52-year-old facilitated proper execution of lease agreements between the Trifecta group of companies and Sassa.

“The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team summoned a 52-year-old former senior practitioner of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) on Thursday, 19 August 2021 to appear before the Kimberley Serious Commercial Crime Court on 2 September 2021 on allegations of corruption and money laundering,” she adds.

The arrest of this official comes a year and a month after the controversial multimillion-rand company was summoned to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court in July 2020 over alleged fraud.

Trifecta Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a company involved in the property business, and its subsidiary companies concluded lease agreements with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

This is the same company that made headlines in 2016 when the former ANC provincial chairperson in the province. John Block and its CEO, Christo Scholtz, were both sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for corruption and money laundering in relation to controversial leases in 2016.

OFM News previously reported that Mnisi said the Director of Trifecta Holdings, Werner du Plessis, who represented the company during the court proceedings, appeared in the Kimberley Regional Court and the case against the multimillion-rand company was postponed to 15 October 2020 for consultation.

OFM News