Mpumalanga man nabbed for trying to bribe SIU official

A 31-year-old man is expected to appear in the court following his attempt to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) official.

The suspect was arrested in Mpumalanga on Monday in a joint operation between the Hawks and the SIU.

According to Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale, the man had offered R50,000 to the SIU official to make a case against his sister ‘disappear’.

The matter, which is in relation to personal protective equipment (PPE), is against an official from the Department of Public Works in Mpumalanga.

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“The complainant had reported that the individual contacted her and requested to meet. They met, and the suspect requested the SIU official to make the case disappear.

“Upon finalising the amount, the suspect went to collect the money. The suspect later returned, and upon handing over the gratification, he was arrested,” Mogale said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Hawks found R63,000 extra cash in the suspect’s possession while he was being arrested. The money has since been seized.

The man is expected to appear at the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Investigations

The SIU is currently investigating 89 PPE procurement deals that were awarded by Mpumalanga Provincial Government, to the value of R391 million.

The investigations are expected to be complete by the end of August.

The SIU previously indicated the PPE expenditure from April last year to March this year stood at R126 billion, and of that amount, more than R14 billion was under investigation.