Police clerks in fraud trial seek new lawyer
THE trial of 10 SAPS clerks and a King William’s Town businessman accused of defrauding the Hawks of more than R500 000 linked to preparations for former president Nelson Mandela’s funeral has been postponed to next month.
The accused appeared at the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court yesterday with the matter being postponed to March 30 to allow three of the 11 to find legal representatives.
This came after advocate Matthew Mphahlwa dumped them mid-trial after they ran out of money. When contacted for comment yesterday, Mphahlwa refused to talk about the merits of the case.
Accused 1, 2 and 3 – Sunny Alibi David, Andiswa Mbebe and Nyanisa Victoria Feni – have now requested legal aid representation.
The accused face 13 counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering. They are accused of defrauding the provincial office of the Hawks by authorising payments for fake purchase of furniture ahead of Mandela’s funeral in 2013.
They were arrested by members of the Hawks on December 9 and 11 2014 at their place of work.
Two of the SAPS clerks, Lulama Kaule and Nomfundo Patience Madubela Shushu, have since resigned. The majority of the accused are supply chain employees based at the SAPS headquarters at Griffiths Mxenge building in Zwelitsha.
David is a businessman who owns Workstation CC, a company that won a tender to supply new office furniture for new Hawks offices across the province in preparation for the state funeral.
David allegedly colluded with four companies to defraud the Hawks of over R500 000 with the help of the SAPS clerks, who are accused of facilitating – and authorising – fraudulent transactions and signed invoices.
The court papers contend that David approached four companies and asked them to give him their tax clearance certificates, company profiles, CK documents, business bank statements, invoices and quotations books.
The companies were paid through a Financial Authority [FA] number that belonged to Workstation CC, but for services that were not rendered.
Only a single supplier must be paid per FA number, as law dictates. The companies were Soar-Biz Concepts, who were paid R82 700; K&M Plumbing, paid R92 000; Tulo & Dayo International Trading, R152 063.20 and De Sansha Retail, paid R99 450.
The 10 police officers are Andiswa Mbebe, Nyanisa Victoria Feni, Noludwe Makhapela, Novakusithiwa Albertina April, Busisiwe Beryl Makhapela, Nomfundo Patience Madubela Shushu, Lulama Kaule, Nokubonga Jongihlathi, Nosipho Sigidi and Thozama Lunga. —