The accused owner of the private company, Thapelo Buthelezi, his wife Monica, and their co-accused Nkosana Meshack Sekobane, who is an accountant, handed themselves over at the Park Road Police Station on Thursday morning after warrants of arrest were issued.

They face at least 95 counts after they allegedly defrauded the South African Revenue Services (SARS) of millions of rands. They are accused of submitting fraudulent SARS returns between 2014 and 2019 as if the companies did not trade, whereas they were in business with the Free State Department of Health. They have been released on bail of R30 000 each and they are set to re-appear again in the same court on 23 February 2023.

They have all denied these charges against them.

ALSO READ: End in sight for SIU investigation into Buthelezi contracts

Buthelezi and company were supposed to have paid SARS over R132 million in tax after earning more than R900 million but instead fraudulently claimed R30 million.  

Buthelezi and his wife all have properties in Gauteng and the Free State worth over at least R10 million, including movable objects.

They were all represented by one legal representative, Brian Kulani Msime.  

ALSO READ: NW Health terminates controversial Buthelezi contract

Meanwhile, in 2019, whilst former Premier Job Mokgoro, was still at the helm of the province, the provincial department of Health terminated its multimillion-rand contract with the Emergency Medical Services company.

ALSO READ: 'Buthelezi ambulances helping FS Health to save money'

In 2018, Buthelezi EMS paramedics protested against a two-month salary backlog. One of the employees, Taunyana Seekoei, told OFM News the management called an urgent meeting and apologised for the non-payment of salaries and committed to pay all employees their full salaries. Seekoei confirmed that they have indeed received their money. 

This private service provider, procured to run hospital and clinic transfers in the Free State and the North West, was under scrutiny following the collapse of health services and the Mediosa scandal in the North West, which prompted Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to launch investigations regarding the use of private ambulances and how these services are procured in the different provinces.

ALSO READ: Buthelezi EMS paramedics back at work

Juta Medical Brief reported Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has asked the Treasury Department in 2018 to investigate the procurement of ambulance services from Buthelezi EMS.

Spotlight reports that it has published two articles on alleged overcharging and tender irregularities involving Buthelezi EMS and the North West Health Department as part of its Health4Sale series of investigative articles.

ALSO READ: Buthelezi EMS contracts in North West and Free State to be investigated

The report quotes Motsoaledi as saying that he wrote to the Minister of Finance to request that the chief procurement officer at National Treasury investigates the procurement of services from both Buthelezi EMS and the Gupta-linked Mediosa (also known as Cureva) in both the Free State and North West. Motsoaledi stressed that the Treasury investigation is specifically into the procurement processes and suspected corruption. He also confirmed that the investigation has already started.

OFM News