Four former senior Gauteng government officials are today expected appear before court for alleged tender irregularities committed at the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) in 2007.
This comes after the four were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks) on Thursday morning.
The long drawn-out case by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation emanates from February 2007, wherein the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) submitted a proposal to the GDoH to continue with an information technology maintenance programme at the department.
In a statement, the Hawks said the total cost of such a project was meant to be no more than R57 million for a period of three years.
“The contract was instead awarded to a private entity at a whooping cost of around R1.2 billion without following due tender procedures.”
The four former State officials – which included a former Head of Department (HoD), who was also an Accounting Officer at the time, Chief Director of Information Communication and Technology, Head of Supply Chain Management and the Deputy Director for Executive Support – allegedly received kickbacks for their role in ensuring that the contract was awarded to an undeserving entity.
The Hawks said two private company directors, who unduly benefited from the tender, are yet to be charged, along with their two companies.
“The said directors are reportedly outside of the country but steps have already been initiated to ensure that they are accounted for,” said the Hawks.
The former State officials are expected to appear at the Palm Ridge Specialiased Commercial Crime Court on today. They are to face charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). – SAnews.gov.za
