Fake health department employees released on bail

Four people who pretended to be from the Department of Health and fleeced a personal protective equipment (PPE) supplier out of millions of rand have been freed on bail.

Ridwaan Saber, Yusuf Jamal, Ebrahim Khan and Mohammed Ballim appeared before the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Saber, Jamal and Ballim were granted bail of R8 000 each while Khan was granted R5 000 bail.

The accused were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for fraud and theft worth approximately R5 740 000.

Fake orders

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Wendy Nkabi said the four submitted fake orders to get the PPE equipment.

“Information has it that the four accused had submitted fraudulent procurement orders claiming to be from Department of Health to the complainant who then supplied them with PPE equipment at an amount of R5 740 000. The complainant then gave the goods to the suspects assuming it was for delivery to the Department of Health but it was never received nor the payments,” Nkabi said.

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Phala Phala robbery

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it had sufficient evidence to link three suspects to a burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm, as their bail bid was postponed to next week.

Two suspects were previously arrested in connection with the robbery at the president’s farm in Limpopo, with a third one handing himself over to police in Bela Bela.

The three appeared in the Bela Bela district court on Friday on charges of theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, money laundering and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Arguing for bail, the suspects said they had commitments, including children to care for, and could only afford R2,000 bail.

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