Durban — A 55-year-old man was recently sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a KwaZulu-Natal magistrate’s court for fraud, while his accomplices will continue with the trial next month.
The Hawks said that on December 12, Mohamed Saleen was sentenced by the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court.
Hawks KZN spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said that between February 2005 and December 2009, Saleen and his co-accused misrepresented to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education that quotations for the goods or services were prepared by different service providers.
They also misrepresented to the department that their quotations were reflecting a fair market value for the goods or services they supplied.
“Due to their conduct, the department was prejudiced in appointing the correct service providers to render services for value for money. As a result, the department also incurred irregular expenditure which was over R25 million,” Mhlongo said.
“Some of his accomplices were acquitted. Ameetha Datadin, 62, and Pradeep Datadin, 63, are expected to continue with the trial on January 25.”
KZN Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation provincial head, Major General (Dr) Lesetja Senona, welcomed the sentence and applauded the investigating and prosecution team for their good work.
Meanwhile, in another Department of Education fraud incident, Raj Gopi, 59; Radharukmoney Gopi, 61; and Harichans Rampersad, 61; were arrested in June by Hawks members from the Pietermaritzburg Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for fraud, money laundering and the contravention of the Income Tax Act.
At the time, Mhlongo said it was alleged that the accused colluded and defrauded the Department of Education in KZN through cover quoting. They allegedly created fictitious enterprises through which they engaged in cover quoting. As a result, legislated procurement processes were evaded to guarantee the award of various contracts to enterprises of the syndicate.
He said more than R85 million was paid by the department during the financial year of 2012/2013 and 2016/2017. A case of fraud was reported at Pietermaritzburg police station and the case docket was allocated to the Hawks members. Through intensive investigation, the accused were arrested and charged.
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