A City of Johannesburg operational manager at the Department of Revenue was arrested on 29 November by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on charges of theft, fraud and corruption, and three members of the public handed themselves over.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said the four arrested suspects will join the 14 suspects who were arrested in August in connection with fraudulent refunds that were processed by City officials working at the refunds unit in the revenue department.
Of the 18 arrests so far, 13 are City officials and five are members of the public. The mayor said more arrests are imminent as investigations are ongoing.
The investigation, Mashaba said, revealed that the suspects in this case allegedly defrauded the City of R28 million by claiming fraudulent refunds purported to be on behalf of property owners. The mayor said in some instances, the property owners colluded with officials to inflate refunds due to them.
“Once the refund was processed it would then be paid into the individual’s bank account and the monies would be shared,” said Mashaba.
Details: Report any fraud and corruption activities on the 24-hour tip-off hotline on 0800 002 587 or visit the Group Forensic and Investigation Services offices at 48 Ameshoff Street in Braamfontein.
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