Pretoria - The Gauteng government has welcomed the arrest of a former official and her accomplice who used state resources for a private business and committed fraud and theft worth R16 million.
Transport and Logistics MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela travelled to Durban for the court appearance of the accused, who committed the alleged crime through g-Fleet Management, which managed state vehicles. The pair also face another charge of the use of state vehicles without authorised consent.
Diale-Tlabela, who attended the court case with the head of department, Thulani Mdadane, said the arrest was a milestone not only for the department but for the people of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and the rule of law.
She said a strong message should echo within the department, especially to those who abused positions of trust and stole from the people.
“These individuals shamelessly used state resources with common cause to fashion a private business for themselves. They thought this net would never close in on them, but their day has finally come,” Diale-Tlabela said.
“As we embark on this important step of rooting out fraud and corruption, maladministration and malfeasance in our entity, the g-Fleet Management Agency, we would like to assure Gauteng residents that the trust they have bestowed upon us will not be betrayed.”
The arrests were the culmination of a 6-year investigation by the department's Fraud and Anti-corruption Unit, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority.
The former employee was a regional manager for the Eastern Cape and Durban regions of the g-Fleet entity, which leases vehicles to state departments.
Diale-Tlabela said although the investigation took them to KwaZulu-Natal, their net was cast wide.
“Today, we have fired only the first salvo to looters of state resources, those who hollow out resources that are meant for the people of Gauteng for their personal gain. I want to take this opportunity to warn these elements that their days are numbered,” she warned.
Pretoria News