Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

South Africa

South Africa, Maverick News

Assets of 45 people seized in R102m police corruption case

Assets of 45 people seized in R102m police corruption case
Personal items including jewellery and foreign currency were seized by the National Prosecuting Authority‘s Asset Forfeiture Unit on Thursday, 11 May. (Photo: Supplied)
Vincent Cruywagen
By Vincent Cruywagen
15 May 2023
Facebook
1
The asset seizure follows the Johannesburg High Court granting a restraint order which attempts to recoup R102m from those wrongfully awarded contracts by the SA Police Service.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has seized jewellery, cars and a mansion from Pretoria businessman Kishene Chetty, his father, Krishna, and others accused of illegally awarding police contracts worth R102-million.

The seizure follows the granting by the Johannesburg High Court of a restraint order to the AFU on 28 April. The restraint order attempts to recoup R102-million from those wrongfully awarded contracts by the SA Police Service (SAPS). In terms of the order, the assets of 45 people have been seized.

police corruption Assets including cars were seized by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit on Thursday, 11 May. (Photo: Supplied)



police corruption Personal items including jewellery and foreign currency were seized by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit. (Photo: Supplied)



National spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate (ID) Sindisiwe Seboka said the 45 people face accusations related to 53 contracts illegally awarded to 26 companies.

It is alleged that Chetty and his father have been defrauding the state, particularly the police, since 2016, using companies registered in the names of employees, family members, acquaintances and Sassa pensioners.

The State also contends that companies that were effectively controlled by Chetty and his father were unlawfully awarded contracts by the SAPS. It is alleged that fraudulent Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment certificates were provided in support of written price quotations, and that the 26 companies were involved in cover quoting (manipulating the three-quote procurement system).

SAPS Supply Chain Management members allegedly conspired with the Chetty family to cheat the SAPS out of tens of millions of rands.

Chetty and his father were arrested after an investigation by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) involving 23 crooked cops and about 30 companies that received more than R100-million in questionable state contracts.

James Ramanjalum, a former police brigadier, is one of the former SAPS officers charged alongside Chetty in another matter relating to a R1.9-million SAPS personal protective equipment procurement matter. In March 2022, Ramanjalum was denied bail by the high court sitting in Palm Ridge. The court has heard evidence that Ramanjalum plotted to kill those investigating and prosecuting him.

Ramanjalum, former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and former deputy national commissioner Bonang Mgwenya are facing 390 counts of fraud and corruption involving about R200-million in the unrelated “blue-light tenders” case.

The Chetty matter is back in the Pretoria Regional Court on 6 December. DM

Categories:

Tags: