A 52-year-old government official, found guilty of fraud and money laundering, has been ordered to pay back the money using her pension fund.
Zukiswa Wana was convicted in the East London Regional Court on Friday, following the crime she committed almost 14 years ago.
Wana was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks).
Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said in October 2021, the provincial education department in Zwelitsha received an internal memo revealing improper payments to two service providers for school hostel catering services.
“The memo reported that payments were made without actual services being rendered and apparently signatures were forged to authorise these transactions,” Fumba said.
“The department identified three irregularly authorised school hostel catering expenditure approval documents, totalling an amount exceeding R800,000.”
Fumba said the investigation revealed the fraud came from the Cluster C Districts Development and Support office where Wana worked as a personal assistant.
“She was identified as the person responsible for the fraudulent authorisation of these payments,” Fumba said.
“The matter was then referred to the Hawks for further investigation and Wana was arrested.”
Fumba said the court sentenced Wana to five years imprisonment, which was wholly suspended.
“She was ordered to repay R410,000 from her pension to compensate for the state loss.”
The Provincial Head of the Hawks Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya commended the team.
IOL News