Former Lepelle Northern Water Board Chief Executive Officer, Phineas Kgahlisho Legodi, was on Monday remanded in custody by the Polokwane Magistrate Court following arrest related to a R45 million tender fraud.
Legodi was over the weekend arrested by the Hawks along with the board’s chairperson of the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), Gwako Micheal Moseamedi, and businessman, Emanuel Matome Sefalafala.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the three were joined by Falaz General Trading and Construction (Pty) Ltd on charges of fraud, alternatively theft, forgery and uttering, with Legodi facing an additional charge of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
“It is alleged that in 2018, the Lepelle Northern Water Board advertised a tender in the Limpopo Province for the collection, removal and disposal of hazardous waste management in 2018. Legodi was the CEO, an accounting officer of the Lepelle Northern Water Board, at the time,” said the NPA.
Based on the recommendations of the BEC, chaired by Moseamedi, and the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC), Legodi appointed Sefalafala’s company, Falaz General Trading and Construction, to render services.
Prosecutor Advocate Dalton Tshinyani, of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) asked for the matter to be postponed to 17 December 2020 for bail application and the accused were remanded in custody.
Lepelle Northern Water is a water board and its primary activity is to provide water service to the other water services institutions within its service area in the Limpopo province. – SAnews.gov.za
