Corruption scandal rocks EC
police HQ
By BONGANI FUZILE on
December 19, 2013
Top cops and clerks are being probed in
Zwelitsha.
SENIOR Eastern Cape police officials and clerks working at the
provincial headquarters in Zwelitsha are being investigated for fraud and
corruption totalling about R1million.
Many of the those implicated work in the supply chain management unit.
One clerk has already been arrested and police said they expected to
make more arrests soon.
It is alleged members involved in the scam colluded with service
providers to create fictitious invoices while others formed bogus companies to
defraud money from the police.
Daily Dispatch sources said the amount involved totalled around
R1-million.
While police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci would not confirm the
amount involved, she did say police were investigating and expected to make
arrests soon.
A senior police officer who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of
anonymity said a female clerk had already been arrested.
“She revealed who she was working with and a number of people are being
investigated by police,” said the source.
He said the scam involved the forging of senior police officials’
signatures.
Invoices were then sent to the police’s finance department for payments
to be made to either the bogus service providers, or those already involved in
the scam.
“These officials would then collect the money from service providers,
who, in return will get paid a portion and be given preference for new
tenders,” said the source.
“It was a complicated process that has been happening for sometime now.
Close to a R1-million if not more is believed to have been lost.”
The source said the investigation was on-going.
“No one knows what they’ve purchased and which companies they colluded
with but we know that this is the same office that purchases vehicles,
furniture and other expensive items for police.”
The Dispatch is in possession of the name of a majorgeneral whose
signature was allegedly forged, but Soci dismissed these allegations as
“unfounded” and “therefore not true”.
“The investigation continues,” she said.
A second police source said staff members, including police officers
were being questioned on their involvement.
“A number [of police officials] are being investigated as we have 18
employees in the province who have been fingered in this fraud,” said the
source.
Another source said: “Tenders and payments paid to bogus companies are
things that led to the arrest of these people.”
