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Two SAPS members and six former members are among a group of 15 people arrested by the Hawks on several charges related to the acquisition of Personal Protective Equipment valued at R1.9 million.
They were arrested in Gauteng and Limpopo on Monday by a task team appointed by the National Police Commissioner and the NPA Investigating Directorate.
Acting national police spokesperson, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, said the rest of the accused in the matter are civilian suppliers.
She said the accused face charges of fraud, theft, corruption, and forgery “arising from a scheme to unlawfully benefit a third-party supplier of latex gloves for the SAPS nationally in April 2020.”
“The investigation has uncovered the award of numerous contracts for the benefit of third party front companies, which in turn facilitated kickbacks to senior SAPS officials,” Mathe said in a joint statement with the NPA’s Investigative Directorate.
She said the National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sithole, and the ID's, Advocate Hermione Cronje commended the sterling work by the team.
All fifteen will appear at the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on Tuesday.
