A Mpumalanga dealership has secured the return of five luxury cars seized from tenderpreneur Hangwani Morgan Maumela by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in relation to the R2bn Tembisa Hospital corruption case.
They are:
- two Aston Martins;
- two Ferraris; and
- a Rolls-Royce.
The dealership, Omar’s Motor Den in eMalahleni, argued at the Special Tribunal it was the registered owner of the vehicles seized from Maumela in October last year and had the eNatis documents to prove this.
The SIU argued it sought to preserve assets allegedly purchased with the proceeds of crime as part of a money laundering scheme, including 26 high-value vehicles. It alleged the dealership was among those used as a proxy. Vehicles were allegedly purchased and then sold to the proxies at unusually high discounted prices.
On behalf of the tribunal, judge Margie Victor ruled the five vehicles should be returned to Omar’s Motor Den if the dealership provided security equivalent to each vehicle’s market value to the curator.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the investigation is continuing into the alleged Maumela syndicate at Tembisa Hospital.
“The vehicles have not been lost to the SIU. Their value is secured and the investigation continues,” he said.
“The tribunal emphasised ownership questions remain unresolved and suspicions surrounding the discounted transactions will be tested in the main proceedings.
“The SIU’s next course of action is to continue its investigation and pursue the main forfeiture proceedings. The preservation order remains in place, and the vehicles’ value is safeguarded for the state pending final determination.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.