NPA spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said Lekalakala is facing two charges of fraud for fraudulently awarding a contract for mobile clinics to a company Mediosa Health Pty (Ltd), linked to the Gupta family in February 2017. The mobile clinics were meant to service rural communities in the province. Mediosa Health allegedly received an upfront payment of R30 million.

Lekalakala were allegedly thanked by the Guptas with a trip to India, accompanied by his spouse and his associates. The state intends to prove that the service level agreement was signed on the India trip in question and not at the Department of Health's offices.

The former North West Health HOD, Dr Thabo Andrew Lekalakala

The first day of the trial on Monday (7/8) kicked off with Lekalakala’s attorney cross-examining a state witness, who worked for the National Department of Health at the time the fraud allegedly occurred. The state is expected to call on more witnesses when the trial commences throughout the week.

“A similar project was already being implemented in the Free State province and Lekalakala, as the then accounting officer, allegedly decided to participate in the same contract and elected to apply the Treasury Regulations that allow for participation in an existing contract arranged by another organ of state, with the same contract terms.”

Ajay and Atul Gupta/PHOTO: ANA

It was discovered that the awarding of this contract did not comply with Treasury Regulations and the project was not budgeted for. Lekalakala also falsely indicated during a management meeting that the service by Mediosa Health was a National Department of Health initiative that would be rolled out to other provinces. He further lied that there was compliance with the Treasury Regulations.

Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola, previously said on the Parliament Monitoring Group’s website, the SIU has approached the Special Tribunal to recover the over R30 million lost to the ground. The SIU had already seized over R2.1 million of Lekalakala’s pension fund, and at present, he is unable to access it despite no longer being an employee of the Health Department.

Lekalakala and former Health MEC Wendy Nelson were exonerated from different fraud charges in 2021. The charge related to Lekalakala’s appointment as HOD of Health in the province.

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