News24 reports that a senior Eastern Cape Department of Health (DOH) official who had crucial information about departmental recruitment processes and remuneration died of natural causes earlier this year, before she could testify in the fraud trial of DOH spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo.

Khunjulwa Livi, deputy director for recruitment, was on the witness list in the State’s case against Kupelo, who was arrested last year for allegedly submitting a fake matric certificate to gain employment in the department in 2002. The State wanted to submit to the court a statement containing details about Kupelo’s earnings that was deposed by Livi before her death. However, Kupelo’s defence successfully opposed the State’s application, which led to the postponement of the trial in the East London Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday.

State prosecutor Siphamandla Ngxokolo said he wanted a postponement in order to find another official from the department to testify about Kupelo’s earnings. The new witness will give evidence on how much money the provincial government had been prejudiced by due to the alleged fraud by Kupelo. He is out on R30,000 bail and faces two counts of fraud, two counts of uttering and one count of forgery. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at the start of the trial in July. The trial was postponed to 20 November.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)

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