'Ferrari-driving' Joburg Market official appears in court
A City of Johannesburg official, accused of corruption, appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today.
The Joburg Market official, along with two others, allegedly stole millions of rands from the Market.
Two co-accused are on the run.
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says the official was released on R10 000 bail and the case has been postponed to 20 April 2017.
"A report submitted last week by the city's anti-corruption head, General Shadrack Sibiya, detailed theft, fraud and corruption amounting to over R7.5 million at Joburg Market. This goes a long way to explaining how, while working as a city official at Joburg Market, the arrested individual was driving around in a Ferrari," says Mashaba.
Mashaba says the report detailed how three officials at the market, alongside three suppliers, allegedly defrauded the city by misrepresenting the amount of various goods received via the market's procurement processes.
"Officials also fraudulently misrepresented the completeness of services rendered by some suppliers, causing substantial financial loss to the market. One such case of misrepresentation cost residents over R1.8 million," says Mashaba.
The mayor says the market overpaid R5 million to a supplier with whom employees of the market had business interests in another instance.
"The three implicated officials have been suspended and will face disciplinary hearings in the near future," says Mashaba.
The city will pursue charges against the three suppliers.