Suspect held after Legends’ funds stolen
A SUSPECT has been arrested in connection with the theft of a claimed amount of R8 million from the Living Legends Trust.
The man, whose permanent address is in Johannesburg, was arrested by the Hawks in Durban on Saturday.
In January, the committee, made up of several icons of arts and culture, held a media briefing explaining how the theft of funds had occurred.
The fund, which was started by the Department of Arts and Culture in September for the Living Legends Legacy Programme (LLLP), was said to have been embezzled from the first day the funds were placed into an account.
LLLP acting chairperson Letta Mbulu said the organisation had opened a case with the police and had also met with the bank.
To date, the department has set aside R20m to aid the LLLP in its mandate and objectives.
The trust was set up in response to the challenges faced by the living legends to access opportunities available to them.
In a statement released by the department, Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the theft “left me in shock”.
“It is with great relief that I have received the news that a suspect is now in custody. I have full confidence that the law will take its course.
“The Department of Arts and Culture is continuing to engage the bank in question, because it absolutely has to account as to how a bank account that is subject to stringent controls in addition to existing strict banking regulations could be compromised in this manner.
“We will not rest until we have all the answers we seek, including relief in the form of recovery of all the monies lost.”
The managing committee of the LLLP includes the likes of Don Mattera, Wally Serote, Stompie Manana and Peter Magubane.