PRETORIA – Two suspects aged 49 and 52 are expected to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrates’ court, tomorrow on Tuesday, 08 February following their arrests this morning on allegations of corruption and maladministration.

This is following an intensive, prosecution aimed investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation into inappropriate administering of state funds into the Venda Mutual Bank by the Thulamela Local Municipality. The investigation revealed that the municipality invested an amount of R30 million into VBS.

The suspects, a former mayor who accepted a Jeep Cherokee valued at over R638 000-00 through a well-known VBS money laundering third party. The Municipal manager who invested the R30 million of the municipality money into VBS in contravention of the Municipal Finance Act.

“I have indicated that the investigations on the municipalities are at an advanced stage. This is the beginning and all the other cases are receiving the necessary attention” said the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Dr/Adv Godfrey Lebeya.

So far, at least 25 people have already been arrested and are in the criminal justice system. They face more than 100 charges. More suspects are expected to be arrested during the course of the investigation as about 20 municipalities in Limpopo, North West and Gauteng, lost nearly R1.6 billion, after illegally investing with the bank.

Source: South African Police Service