Hawks reopen probe into Brian Hlongwa
The Hawks have reopened its investigation into embattled top politician Brian Hlongwa.
The Hawks have been asked to revisit Hlongwa’s docket.
Law enforcement agencies decided not to prosecute the former Gauteng MEC of Health for alleged corruption and fraud during his tenure.
The current African National Congress (ANC) chief whip in Gauteng is mired in controversy after a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report detailed how Hlongwa ran an alleged fraud, corruption and nepotism plot at the provincial department.
Some R1.2 billion was unaccounted for during his tenure as MEC from 2006 to 2009.
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In a statement, Hlongwa said that the report was made public “at strategic intervals primarily to embarrass the Gauteng ANC”.
He said that the elite-crime fighting unit decided not to arrest him but did “arrange to hand himself over to the Hawks” in 2014.
But the Hawks’ Hangwani Mulaudzi says this is not the case.
“It was not the Hawks who decided against it, it was the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority).”
The NPA has now tasked the investigators to reopen the docket.
“The matter has not been finalised. It is a matter that is being investigated by the anti-corruption task team. At that time the investigations were finalised however there are new instructions that has been given by the NPA. We still busy in terms of the docket itself,” says Mulaudzi.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature erupted into chaos on Wednesday after members requested an urgent debate on the matter.
It was rejected, with the Deputy Speaker Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko declaring the matter subjudice.