Buffalo City Municipal councillor, 44-year old Roseline Witbooi is expected back in the East London Magistrate's court on 13 January for alleged fraud committed in July 2017.
Hawks spokesperson in the Eastern Cape, Captain Anelisa Ngcakani says she briefly appeared in court following her arrest on Friday, but the case was postponed for further investigation.
She was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, after three Magopeni family members from East London died while they were trapped inside a burning shack.
Witbooi then allegedly submitted an application to the municipality and requested an amount of R10 000, which would be used to assist the family with funeral costs.
Ngcakani says the municipality approved the application and paid the amount into the affected family’s bank account.
She says it is further alleged that the councillor then ordered the family to hand over half of the money to her - an instruction they complied with.
Witbooi is out on a warning.
