By Kaya 959 News
Nine suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing R53-million from the City of Tshwane Municipality.
The Hawks’ National Clean Audit Task Team says the millions were stolen from the municipality after the system was allegedly hacked.
Cash was transferred to different bank accounts, including that of Ayakhula Trading.
Ayakhula Trading is also implicated in a similar fraudulent act where an estimated R1-billion JSE Trustee account was targeted by this business syndicate.
“The nine suspects will be appearing in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court to answer to charges of fraud and corruption.
“Some of the suspects were contracted with the municipality and some of them are service provides for the municipality,” Mogale said.
The suspects are aged between 23 and 60.
More fraud and corruption arrests
The first accused, a man in his sixties, was arrested in December 2019.
Two more suspects were nabbed in May 2020.
“The three suspects are accused of stealing R53 million from the municipality’s bank account on 30 August 2019, which was earmarked for the National Fund for Municipality Workers (NFMW).
“It was discovered during investigations that the stolen funds were allegedly laundered from the company SAGOLD (Pty ) Ltd into several businesses as well as local and international bank accounts of the first accused’s relatives,” the SAPS said in a May 2020 statement.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation vowed that “all those who participated in the looting shall be held accountable”.



