Fraud case against Mpumalanga Cogta head postponed
Mpumalanga Cogta head Samkelo Ngubane and his three co-accused will appear in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in February.
The case against Mpumalanga’s head of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), Samkelo Ngubane, and his accomplices has been postponed to February 17.
Ngubane and his three co-accused, Raymond Manzini (45), the deputy director of disaster management under Cogta, his brother, Chris Manzini (33), and Moses Ndlovu (61) appeared in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on Monday.
Ngubane was an additional suspect in the matter in which the Manzini brothers, Ndlovu and a certain company had been charged with fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act in May.
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According to the Mpumalanga Hawks’ spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, the case relates to a tender that was advertised by Cogta for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
It is alleged that the tender was awarded to a company belonging to Ndlovu, Gatjeni Trading. It is further alleged that he is a friend of Raymond’s, and that the tender was appointed unlawfully.
Sekgotodi said that after the appointment was made, Ndlovu allegedly did not have the finances to buy and supply the PPE. He then went to Raymond to borrow the money to buy it.
“The PPE was bought and the prices were inflated when they charged the department, when the invoices were issued to the department and paid to Ndlovu,” said Sekgotodi.
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It is alleged that Ndlovu then deposited money into Chris’s account to the value of R6m. The three suspects appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on May 30 this year and were released on bail of R15 000 each.
Ngubane was arrested by the Mpumalanga Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on June 6 on charges relating to the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. He appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court the same day and was released on R10 000 bail.
The reason for the recent postponement was for disclosure and for copies of the docket to be handed to the defence. Their bail has been extended.
