SIU: Slain Gauteng health official was witness in PPE probe
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has confirmed that the slain health official Babita Deokaran was a witness in one of its investigations.
Deokaran, a senior finance official at the department, was killed on Monday morning in a suspected hit.
The 53-year-old succumbed to gunshot wounds at a local hospital after unknown suspects opened fire on her outside her home, south of Johannesburg, just a few moments after she had dropped her child at school.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says Deokaran was one its witnesses in the probe on the alleged PPE procurement irregularities at the Department of Health in Gauteng.
The department came under fire last year after reports surfaced that senior officials had meddled in procurement processes, swindling millions of rands from the department.
“I would like to confirm the fact that the chief director in the Department of Health who was murdered yesterday was part of the investigation into PPEs in the department.
“We want to call on the police to get to the bottom of this matter. We pledge to cooperate with the police so that they are able to get to the bottom of this matter.”
Despite speculation, the motive for the killing remains unclear.
“At this point we cannot associate or link this to the investigation,” says Kganyago.
Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi has expressed shock at Deokaran’s tragic death.
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