A current and former director at the North West Health Department have been released on R5 000 bail following their arrests on charges related to fraud involving R75 million.
This followed an investigation into tender irregularities between 2008 and 2009 when the North West government sought to build two hospitals in Ledig (Moses Kotane Hospital) and Vryburg (Joe Morolong Hospital).
Police said the investigation found that Ntelaleng Matlapeng, 59, director at the North West Health Department, and Elliot Motene, 49, former director at the North West Health Department, certified payment vouchers for exchange rates of R75m when the contract and specifications did not allow the exchange rates to be claimed.
Matlapeng faces one count of fraud, while Motene faces two counts.
They will be joined by the other five accused when they appear in the Mahikeng Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Suspects include Andrew Lekalakala, 58, former head of the Department of Health in North West. He is facing charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and two charges of fraud.
Former head of the Department of Health in North West, Lydia Keneilwe Sebego, 63, faces two charges of contravening the PFMA, while 54-year-old Vuyo Mbulawa, chief director at the Department of Health in North West, is charged with 10 counts of fraud.
The department’s service provider, Roulph Lotwane Mabe, 68, faces six counts of fraud, while Joseph Leshabane, another service provider, faces six charges of fraud.
Police spokesperson Tinyiko Mathebula said the charges against the two former heads of the department related to service level agreements that were signed between the two companies and their directors on services that needed to be rendered to the two hospitals.
“The said services were, however, not rendered, while these companies allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices, which were paid by the department after being authorised by Mbulawa.
“This allegedly led to a loss of over 86m to the Department of Health, paid to Mabe’s company, and over R49m million paid to Leshabane’s company.
The state’s evidence further reveals that the two HODs signed the service level agreements, while they knew that the two companies were not compliant and did not meet the requirements,” said Mathebula.
Cape Times