Police bust eight suspects for tender fraud and corruption in Cape Town

Western Cape police have arrested eight suspects allegedly involved in tender fraud and corruption in Cape Town.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa said on Tuesday an investigation team had arrested one of the suspects in the Eastern Cape. Potelwa said the investigation was linked to alleged fraudulent activities in the city’s human settlements directorate.

“As part of a protracted investigation into alleged fraudulent and corrupt activities at the city’s human settlements directorate, the Western Cape SAPS commercial crimes unit detectives with the anti-gang unit’s organised crime investigators swooped on a location in the Eastern Cape where they arrested a 46-year-old suspect on Monday evening,” said Potelwa.

“The arrest follows an investigation initiated by commercial crimes detectives that saw the investigators descending on the City of Cape Town offices in March 2023 and seizing a number of items as part of their probe.”

Potelwa said another team arrested three other suspects in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning.

“With the takedown operation progressing, four other suspects were arrested in Cape Town on Tuesday,” said Potelwa.

“All four suspects arrested outside Cape Town are being brought to the city where they are expected to join other suspects and appear in the Cape Town magistrate’s court on Wednesday on charges that relate to money laundering, racketeering, corruption and extortion fraud.”

Potelwa said the arrests “are seen as a significant milestone in this major investigation with the suspects charged and brought before court”.

She said the possibility of further arrests in the matter could not be ruled out.

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