Senior official arrested in connection with R21 million in PPE corruption
The Hawks on Friday arrested a top official from the Department of Health linked to over R21 million in personal protective equipment (PPE) corruption during the outbreak of Covid-19.
59-year-old Jabulani Rolland Nkosi was arrested by the Mpumalanga Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation unit for contravening the Public Finance Management Act, according to Captain Dineo Sekgotodi.
“It is alleged that during the Covid-19 outbreak, while the suspect was still an acting head of the Department of Education, the department procured PPEs which were not classified under Covid-19 circular,” Sekgotodi said.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) referred the investigation to the Hawks before his arrest.
“During the investigation, it was established that the PPEs were irregularly purchased without following supply chain processes,” Sekgotodi states.
The total value of the PPEs is reportedly over R21m.
Once the investigation linked the top official, a warrant for his arrest was issued and executed.
Nkosi’s LinkedIn profile reveals he has been serving as HR chief director at the Department of Health since February last year.
It also states that he served as the acting superintendent-general of Mpumalanga’s Department of Education between February 2019 and January 2021.
South Africa first implemented a national lockdown to mitigate the outbreak of Covid-19 on March 23, 2020 – placing Nkosi’s alleged involvement in PPE corruption between March 2020 and January 2021.
His career as a public servant began in 1995.
The 59-year-old appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Friday and was released on R10 000 bail.
The case has been postponed to April 20.
-IOL
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