Government official’s assets seized after looting millions in state funds

The KwaZulu-Natal Prosecuting Authority has allegedly seized assets worth over R540 000 000 from a syndicate involving a senior government official, Siphiwe Christopher Majola.

According to News24, the senior government official and a few other service providers in KZN were reportedly awarded with government tender contracts worth millions of rands to repair KZN’s road infrastructure.

In 2010, the police anti corrupt task team (ACCT) investigated the department in Pietermaritzburg for allegations including theft, fraud, and corruption.

It was then discovered that the department under investigation and several other service providers had fraudulently secured several tenders for supply good chain and services for plant and earth moving equipment amongst other things.

They also discovered that the service providers invoiced and charged for services that where never rendered, the invoices where then followed by corrupt payments made to or on behalf of department official who remain unnamed.

The department reportedly awarded several contract to Berleda 232 CC, Queensburge Equipment Rental CC and Ubunye Plant Hire CC which all amount to R543 328 926.62.

Majola was reportedly responsible for awarding the contracts notwithstanding the money the state money he looted.

Majola by passed internal procurement procedure control that were meant to spread contracts among various small contracts, he received several corrupt payments which included a cheque for R430 650.00 to purchase a Mercedes Benz C280, R 1500 000 to buy Fernely Farm, and an additional R5 000 000 towards the purchase of the farm and a further R224 800 was paid to buy cattle feed for Majola’s farm.

Assets that were seized from the whole syndicate on Friday include cattle, farms, vehicles, a luxury boat, as well as houses.

The matter is expected back in court in June 2017 for further investigations.

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