News24 reports that assets and properties worth more than R52 million have been seized from senior Mpumalanga government officials and service providers who are accused of involvement in a corruption network during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe, senior officials at the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works allegedly received kickbacks from suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts during the pandemic. In addition, the service providers are accused of not delivering the services they were contracted for. The SIU indicated: “The investigation uncovered multiple instances of corruption, fraud, theft, and money laundering committed by senior managers and service providers involved in procuring PPE disinfection services during the Covid-19 period.” The investigation led to the arrest of 22 officials and service providers in 2022. The trial has started in the Nelspruit Specialised Commercial Crime Court where the accused have to answer to charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering. A preservation order was obtained from the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela and was served at 34 locations in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the North West and the Western Cape, where inventories of 29 properties and 31 vehicles, including several Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and a boat trailer were captured. The court also froze property, including houses, electronics, cars, household items, jewellery, arms, ammunition, bank accounts, salaries, and bail money belonging to those implicated in the matter.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24
• Lees ook, Miljoene se bates gegryp in covid-19-tenderbedrogsaak, by Maroela Media

As well as, Accused in Covid-19 PPE corruption to appear in Mpumalanga court on Wednesday, at BusinessLive

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