Municipal officer flees from Hawks before her arrest in Polokwane CBD
A businessman was told to pay R30 000 before his company would be awarded a tender and reported the matter to the Hawks.
POLOKWANE – A 33-year-old woman will appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court today (January 23) following her arrest in the CBD for alleged tender corruption on Saturday (January 21).
According to a statement by the Limpopo Hawks, the complainant is a businessman who said he applied for a tender to provide road construction machines.
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Provincial spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said while waiting for the announcement of the tender winner, the complainant received a call from someone who claimed to be from the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality and requested to meet with him at the municipal offices in Lebowakgomo to discuss the tender he had applied for.
“The meeting was allegedly held with a senior municipal official and the complainant was told his company got the tender but he had to pay a R30 000 gratification. The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit in Polokwane and an undercover operation was conducted,” his statement read.
Maluleke said the suspect is a high ranking official at the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality who met the complainant in her vehicle near a restaurant in the Polokwane CBD and the money was paid.
“Her attempt to flee from the Hawks was futile as she was chased, cornered and arrested before she could disappear on to the streets of Polokwane. The money that she had received, as well as the vehicle that was used during the commission of the alleged offence, were confiscated,” he said.
