CFO in court after fraud charges
It seems that it is not the first time Malema has been embroiled in allegations of fraud.
Charles Malema, Chief Financial Officer at the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality, appeared on five charges of fraud in the Groblersdal Magistrates Court on Monday October 9.
Malema was appointed as CFO at the municipality in June this year.
According to Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi of the National Prosecuting Authority, five former employees of the Sekhukhune District Municipality were arrested. Malema (42), Andries Mokgotho (45), and Kedibone Magagane (45) were employed by the district municipality as Chief Financial Officer, Expenditure Clerk, and Expenditure Manager respectively.
It is alleged that they made payments of R5,4 million to Sivhadana Murovhi (39) and Bongani Masupye (45) between 5-7 July 2018, without them ever rendering any services to the municipality.
The NPA stated that the money should have been paid to three service providers who rendered security services, collected water reticulation, and completed the precast VIP toilet structures.
The court granted Malema and Murovhi R8 000 bail and Mokgotho, Masupye, and Magagane R5 000 bail each. The company Fidos General Trading (Pty) Ltd was also charged with fraud.
The matter was transferred to the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court and the accused will appear again on Monday 23 October.
An acting CFO, Moloko Matlala who served in the position previously, has been appointed.
According to Sechele Sebolai, mayor of the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality, they had difficulty getting hold of Malema last week after he did not attend meetings.
“We are still gathering more information on this issue,” he said. “If the CFO is unavailable for more than ten days, we may have to take the matter to council and make a new appointment.”
Malema’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he was employed at the Thabazimbi Municipality from 2012 until 2014 as CFO, at the Sekhukhune District Municipality from 2015 until 2018 as acting CFO, at the Mogalakwena Municipality from 2015 until 2018 as CFO and at the Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in North West from 2020 until 2022 as CFO.
According to councilors, Malema attended a special council meeting held on Tuesday 10 October.
It seems that it is not the first time Malema has been embroiled in allegations of fraud. In 2019, while he was the Chief Financial Officer at the Mogalakwena Municipality, AfriForum opened criminal cases against Malema and the mayor, Andrina Matsemela, after allegations that an amount of R1,5 million was spent on her birthday party.
Several news reports during the same year stated that the municipality appointed forensic investigators to probe two payments totaling R2,5 million made to incorrect recipients on 24 January 2019. According to a media release by the municipality during that time, it was discovered that during the payment process, the banking details of the two suppliers were changed and diverted to other recipients.
