The Hawks have arrested three eThekwini municipality officials for fraud and money-laundering.
The officials, nabbed on Thursday, are a 40-year-old municipal administration manager, an Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) employee, aged 27, and an EPWP recruiter, aged 42.
Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said the officials and their runners allegedly "conspired and misrepresented members of the public in 2017 that they had secured an EPWP tender at the municipality and promised them jobs".
"Individuals were recruited and instructed to open bank accounts, which were kept by the suspects. All the so-called workers were paid once-off stipends after the money was deposited into their accounts."
The trio appeared in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday on charges of fraud and money-laundering.
Two of the suspects were released on bail of R3,000, while the administration manager was granted bail of R5,000, with the proviso that "he must be removed from his current office".
The Hawks arrested three other eThekwini municipal officials in December 2018 for fraud and theft. All six suspects will appear in the same court on February 21.
Investigations continue.
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