Nine in court for swindling provincial health department

Staff Reporter

Nine people and nine companies appeared in court Wednesday facing at least 286 charges which include fraud, money laundering, criminal gang activity and other serious crimes.

Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Phaladi Shuping said in a statement the accused are facing 77 counts of fraud, 150 counts of money laundering, 29 counts of corruption by a public officer, 29 counts of corruption by private persons and one count of criminal gang activity.

The accused persons are Bassie Andrews, 51 and Constance Leeuw, 52, who are employees of the Department of Health, together with Martins Motau, 60, Vusi Masilela, 62, Susanna Rossouw, 37, Lesego Boom, 46, Victoria Motloung, 46, Semakaleng Sekhalo, 57 and Patrick Leeuw, who were directors of different companies they are being jointly charged with.

The companies include, Hlompang Sourcing and Trading, Siyaya Plumbing CC, Elegant Line Trading 304, Panzacode Electrical, Bill Office Solutions, Maalu Trading CC, Active Women Construction and Brilliant Business Affairs CC.

According to the charge sheet, Andrews was employed as a Technical Manager by the Department of Health Free State.

His responsibilities included, amongst others, monitoring activities on site to ensure that services are rendered by the service providers in accordance with specifications. He was also responsible for the compilation of reports pertaining to the services rendered and submissions of a document called Simultaneous Receipt and Issue Voucher to the Supply Chain Unit.

Leeuw was employed by the Department of Health as Senior Finance Accountant. Her responsibilities included, amongst others, receipt of payment batches for capturing and processing.

She pre-authorised and did the final authorisation of all the payments on the system.

“Between 2013 and 2015, the Department of Health processed various transactions in connection with claims submitted by the accused directors on behalf of the accused companies for services rendered,” said Shuping in the statement.

“Andrews and Leeuw, in collaboration with the accused directors of the companies allegedly forged invoice numbers that were previously generated for services already rendered and paid for by the department,” he explained.

He said the Department of Health made payments in respect of these forged invoices after they were generated and captured.

“The accused companies were paid a total of over R7 million which was not due to them. The money was paid into the accounts of the companies. The directors would withdraw the money and share it amongst themselves. Part of it was allegedly transferred into the accounts of Bassie and Leeuw,” according to the state.

The case was postponed to October 21 for copies of the docket to be made available.