The Hawks have arrested five people, including Free State government officials, in connection with the asbestos audit scandal in the province, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.
The arrests took place in Gauteng and the Free State late on Wednesday morning, NPA spokesman Sipho Ngwenya said.
He declined to mention the names of the suspects, who will appear in court on Friday.
The arrests follow testimony in recent weeks before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on the R255 million audit deal that played out in 2014.
The arrests are the first to flow from testimony before the commission probing the rent-seeking scandal that has bled the state of billions of rand.
A special presidential proclamation has paved the way for the prosecuting authorities to have direct access to evidence before the commission.
The proclamation was issued as President Cyril Ramaphosa found himself under increasing pressure to act on corruption as evidence emerged that wide-scale graft was continuing as South Africa embarked on the emergency procurement of material to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The asbestos case testimony embroiled former Free State premier Ace Magashule, the current secretary-general of the ANC.
The complex deal was meant to see the removal of hazardous asbestos from Free State properties, but this was never done.
-African News Agency
In other news – Norma Mngoma who was arrested and divorced from Malusi Gigaba sends touching message
Norma Mngoma has been going through it this year. From being arrested for damage to property to getting a divorce from her politician ex-husband. However, she is not giving up though she is still holding her head high and is encouraging other women to do the same.
I want to remind you that it’s normal to feel emotional or weak when things don’t come together and when you know you are stretching yourself to make them work.” She adds. “I have learnt that the most resilient people are not only strong people but people who are capable of seeing everything as motivation. Learn More
