Businessman who defrauded CoJ of R66 million is an illegal immigrant, court told
An affidavit compiled by a Home Affairs Department investigator has prolonged the prison stay of the City of Johannesburg’s alleged fraudster Brighton Kuzovamuhu Chifamba.
This comes after Chifamba was denied bail at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday.
The Zimbabwean national looked calm ahead of his formal bail hearing on charges of theft, money laundering, corruption, and fraud.
The 49-year-old and his company Setheo Engineering are alleged to have swindled R66 million from the city’s coffers.
This comes after his company clinched a contract worth R126 million with the city in 2015 to build a substation in Eldorado Park.
Chifamba held the position of a project manager when the company secured the multimillion-rand contract through a fraudulent bank guarantee which led the city to believe they had the balance sheet to handle the project.
In his affidavit, Chifamba indicated he was an abiding foreign national in the country, with the required documentation.
Also contained in the affidavit, it states Chifamba is reliant on odd electrical jobs, which is his only source of income.
The accused also indicated he is a father of two and that his wife who works incorporate with a salary of less than R10 000 is the remaining breadwinner.
His lawyer further argued the accused could only afford a bail amount of R5 000.
However, things took a sharp turn for the accused and his lawyer when the prosecutor pulled out an affidavit from Home Affairs.
According to the affidavit, Chifamba is an illegal immigrant in the country, while his residential address has also come under scrutiny.
It is unclear as to where Chifamba permanently resides, despite his affidavit linking him to a rental property in Alberton, Ekurhuleni.
The Home Affairs official has since been summoned to court for further clarity and information they have on Chifamba.
The city of Joburg has also been monitoring the case with interest while also probing the matter internally.
The city’s Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) department has since found two employees of the City, Maete Thoka and Godfrey Mulaudzi, were implicated in the awarding of the tender.
It is alleged they colluded with officials from Setheo Engineering to ensure invoices that were submitted and paid without any physical work done on the substation.
The Star has been informed that other suspects implicated in the matter are due to be arrested soon.
-The Star
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