Kroonstad – The head of the Free State cooperative governance and traditional affairs department, Mokete Victor Duma, and a co-accused were released on R5 000 bail each on Tuesday, hours after being arrested on fraud charges, the Hawks said.
Duma, 46, and Samuel Shabalala, 41, both face 127 charges, including fraud and contravention of the Municipal Management Finance Act.
The charges relate to when Duma was the municipal manager of the Moqhaka Municipality in Kroonstad.
Shabalala was a service provider when the municipality was defrauded. The amount involved R11 million.
“Shabalala promised to build an airport in Kroonstad, as well as underground tunnels, but none of those happened,” said Hawks spokesperson Robert Netshiunda.
“He misrepresented the facts when he said he has acquired international sponsors to fund all the projects he had promised, but instead Duma authorised that an amount totalling R11 million be paid to Shabalala”.
It was not the first time Duma found himself in court on fraud charges.
In May 2012, Duma was arrested and charged with money laundering, fraud and theft charges related to a multi-million rand loan for a grader and landfill compactor for the municipality.
Even though the machines did not reach the municipality, it paid the bank monthly instalments on its loan until Duma’s successor brought the matter to the bank’s attention and the contract was cancelled.
ANA