Durban - A fraud case from 15 years ago, which was struck off the court roll, has been reopened.
The fraud relates to school nutrition supply to 31 schools in the KSD Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
The Hawks said the case was reopened after police found and arrested one of the suspects they were looking for, this week.
No-Ayini Siphokazi Livi, 65, was arrested on May 8 and charged with fraud.
Her three other co-accused are Cikizwa Gqiba, 59, Dumisani Mdeliswa, 52, and Zingisa Enock Madonyela, 66.
Madonyela died in 2015.
Explaining the charges, the Hawks in the Eastern Cape said it was alleged that in 2008, the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Secondary Co-Operation (Co-Op) Ltd in Mthatha was awarded a contract by the Department of Education (DoE) to supply nutrition to 31 schools across the KSD Municipality.
“The Co-Op is reported to have appointed two sub-contractors, Mandla Commodity Food and WTT Caterers, to supply food to the schools. It agreed that the department would make payments to the suppliers’ accounts, to deduct their share and deposit the balance to the account of the Co-Op,” said Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.
“They allegedly claimed that they were the newly appointed board members of the Co-Op whereas they were not.
“The director subsequently transferred more than R1.5 million to the account that was later established to belong to Livi.
“The four accused allegedly misappropriated the funds for their personal gain.”
The chairperson of the Co-Op reported the matter to the Hawks. That led to the arrest of Gqiba and Mdeliswa on April 29, 2021.
“After numerous court appearances, the case was provisionally struck off the court roll while Livi was being sought,” said Mgolodela.
Livi appeared in court this week and was released on a warning. Gqiba and Mdeliswa were served with summons to reappear in court.
The matter was adjourned until June 2.
IOL