Former National Health Laboratory Services CEO in dock for tender corruption

Joyce Mogale, the former CEO at the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS), appeared at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Johannesburg on Monday for alleged tender corruption that took place in 2016 involving more than R113 million.

The allegations are that Mogale signed a contract with Blue Future Internet and Surveillance to supply and maintain computer hardware for three years. The adjusted contract stipulated that the amount involved was not to exceed R83 million, but the letter of acceptance of the offer made it clear that the value of the contract was only above R25 million.

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The NHLS consequently paid the supplier R113 million which exceeded the value of the contract by over R87 million. Mogale has been charged for fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act following her misrepresentations to the board of directors at NHLS.

Mogale handed herself over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in Germiston on Monday morning shortly before her court appearance where she was granted R20 000 bail. The case has been postponed to 17 September 2021.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, a manager at Power Life Global SA, Nomasonto Rikhotso, was arrested for allegedly fraudulently transferring over R1.9 million into her own business Marindle Trading Enterprise’s account between April and May 2020.

Rikhotso has been released on R5 000 bail in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Monday. The case has been postponed to 13 October 2021.