A 49-year-old woman from Mthatha has been released on bail of R20 000 following her brief appearance in the Mthatha Magistrates’ Court on two charges of fraud amounting to R4.8 million.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Sipho Ngwema says Pumza Poshee Gambula, through her company Phathilizwi Training Institute, which has also been charged along with her, had a contract with OR Tambo District Municipality to conduct awareness workshops on an ongoing basis.
Between March and June of this year, her company submitted two invoices of R3.03 million and R1.82 million to the municipality for door-to-door Covid-19 workshops it conducted in different wards in the Mhlontlo and Port St John’s Local Municipalities.
Ngwema says the State alleges, however, that none of these Covid-19 awareness workshops were conducted.
Even though the claimed amounts were not paid to the accused, the municipality stood to suffer a substantial loss and Gambula was duly arrested by members of the Hawks.
The matter was postponed to the 30th of October for further investigation and to be transferred to the Regional Court.
