The Hawks have prepared a raft of 60 charges against seven high-profile individuals linked to the controversial R255m Free State asbestos project.
Yesterday the elite crime-busting unit led the dramatic arrests of businessmen, former high-ranking government officials, an ex-mayor and a former MEC. In a swoop in three provinces, it took action on a first case linked to state capture.
Six of the seven people the Hawks is targeting for prosecution were arrested yesterday and are set to appear in the Bloemfontein high court tomorrow.
They face a total of 60 charges ranging from corruption, fraud and money laundering
The high-profile arrests include that of businessman Edwin Sodi, who on Tuesday dropped names of powerful politicians he gave money to, including deputy state security minister Zizi Kodwa, health minister Zweli Mkhize, ANC treasurer Paul Mashatile and labour minister Thulas Nxesi.
Sodi's company Blackhead Consulting and Diamond Hill Trading were in a joint venture that was awarded a more than R200m contract for an asbestos audit by the Free State’s department of human settlements in late 2014.
The other three people arrested were former MEC of human settlements in the Free State and former Mangaung mayor Olly Mlamleli, former head of department Nthimotse “Tim” Mokhesi, and a former head of supply chain.
The arrests were part of joint co-operation between the Hawks, National Prosecuting Authority and Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
A former national department of human settlements director-general, Thabani Zulu, was also meant to be arrested but the Hawks could not find him.
Mokhesi’s department continued making payments to the companies involved even though the auditor-general had flagged the contract as irregular.
Zulu – who the state capture commission of inquiry heard benefited from a R600,000 deposit Sodi paid to a dealership for his Range Rover – had still not been arrested by late yesterday.
Zulu’s department transferred the asbestos project from Gauteng to the Free State, where R230m was paid to the two companies but only R21.3m went towards the project.
Speaking outside Sodi’s company yesterday, Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said they had put together a list of at least 60 charges against the seven suspects and 12 companies.
“We are busy here with search and seizure as you can see. There are other five companies that are also going to be charged, which brings the total number to 12,” Mulaudzi said.
“So out of the seven, four are senior government officials and three are your private businesspeople. So we are looking at plus minus 60 counts of various charges that they are going to face on Friday.”
The Hawks, according to Mulaudzi, were ready to pounce on the seven suspects as early as August but were asked by the state capture commission to delay the process.
“What is critical as well is to put it clear that we received the docket or the complaint in February this year and already we’re done with this first leg, which equates to about six months.
“In fact we were already finished by end of August but the Zondo commission wanted to deal with this issue, so we gave them space and time to deal with it. So, we had to postpone. So, we were ready by then,” he said.
After Sodi’s arrest yesterday, the Hawks took him to his company offices in Sandton, Johannesburg, where a search and seizure was conducted.
The Hawks did not disclose what exactly they were looking for but said it was documents related to the asbestos tender.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said they were confident of their case.
“Obviously we would not be taking the measures that we're taking if we did not believe in our evidence and the evidence that we got is very clear. And obviously we also roped in the Hawks to use the way they do their investigation.”
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