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The Hawks said eight people, aged between 43 and 71, were arrested in connection with a R20 million fraud case in the Eastern Cape.
Spokesperson, Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, said “high-ranking” officials in the Office of the EC Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, are among those who were taken into custody on Monday.
The arrests were made in Gauteng and the eight were being transferred to the Eastern Cape.
Mgolodela said company directors were among those arrested by members of a multi-disciplinary team for fraud, forgery, money laundering, and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
She said this related to a 2016 request from the Department of Education for the Premier’s office to assist with the emergency procurement of 72 temporary classrooms and furniture for the Gqeberha and Uitenhage areas.
Mgolodela said it was alleged that proper procurement processes were not followed in the awarding of the R20 million tender.
She said it was further alleged that the preferred service provider was closely linked to the senior officials in Mabuyane’s office, while the classrooms for which the tender was issued, were not provided.
The eight are due to make their first court appearance in the Zwelitsha magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
