SIU welcomes arrest of Mpumalanga official for attempted bribery of investigator

The 31-year-old man was arrested by the Hawks on Monday after he arranged to meet the SIU investigator and pay a R50 000 bribe to make the case to disappear.

The official’s sister is implicated in a personal protective equipment investigation.

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the bribe follows an investigation by the SIU into the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport.

“SIU investigations revealed that the department contracted a particular service provider in the 2017/18 financial year for pest control services. However, when a National State of Disaster was declared in March 2020 as a response to Covid-19 pandemic, the department varied the contract to include disinfection services in the Ehlanzeni district. The disinfection services were for buildings owned and managed by the Mpumalanga provincial government.”

“Subsequent to the disinfection, the service provider received multiple payments amounting to R4.8 million. The first payment was R1,3 million in July 2020 and was followed by a number of payments amounting to R3.5 million.”

Kganyago says some of the payments were traced to a Mpumalanga-based law firm and two employees of the department.

“The law firm bought a property to the value of R2.2 million and registered it in the name of a daughter of one of the two departmental officials.

“The SIU interviewed parties involved to seek clarity on what SIU investigation had uncovered. After the interviews, the SIU investigator was contacted with a gratification offer.”

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