Central SA
Free State Hawks raid municipality over alleged tender fraud─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 11:24 Sat, 07 Jan 2023
The Hawks are conducting investigations into allegations of fraud and corruption at the Free State-based Letsemeng Local Municipality.
This, after a search and seizure on Thursday 6 January 2023.
Free State Hawks’ Fikiswa Matoti says the raid followed a whistle blower informing them that in August 2022, the Letsemeng Local Municipality allegedly unlawfully awarded a R40 million tender to a prominent company in Bloemfontein for the upgrading of bulk water infrastructure at Koffiefontein and Ditkhake township.
Preliminary investigations revealed the owner of the company submitted fraudulent documents and was awarded the tender.
Matoti further adds they were granted an order by the Koffiefontein Margistrate’s Court on 5 January 2023 to search and seize documents at the municipality.
According to her, the Hawks confiscated tender documents, payment batches, and an acceptance of tender letter.
Matoti says investigations into the matter are ongoing and arrests are imminent.
