Business found guilty of fraud against max prison

Vhalenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise (which was tried as a juristic person), represented by Delecia Sadiki (42), was found guilty of nine counts of fraud and corruption by the Makhado Regional Court on Monday, 29 March 2021.

According to provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke, Clement Raphalalani (57) who was a deputy director (procurement officer) at the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre (SACM) outside Louis Trichardt, had awarded a tender to the company owned by his apparent lover, Sadiki, to supply different items to the facility worth R1 071 831, without following supply-chain processes. This was during 2017.

“The Hawks investigation revealed that in 2017, Raphalalani, who was a procurement officer at the facility, awarded a R 2.7 million tender to Penson Manufacturing Company belonging to Editha Pengson (57) without following due processes. It was also established that Raphalalani, together with Thabo Makamane (53), who was also a deputy director at the facility, also awarded a tender worth R3 588 707 to Durafoarm Distributors CC, without following due processes. The Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre suffered a loss of over R18 million due to these corrupt activities,” said Maluleke in a press release.

Raphalalani, Sadiki and Vhelenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise, together with other companies, were arrested during a sting operation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit in December 2018. Raphalalani, who is also implicated in other corrupt activities at the facility, was found guilty of fraud and corruption by the same court on 1 September last year.

“The cases against Vhelenda Zwashu Trading Enterprise, Raphalalani and other accused have been transferred to the Giyani Specialised Commercial Crime Court for sentencing on 14 April 2021,” said Maluleke.

Date:01 April 2021

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