It is reported the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development gave a number of contracts to a company called Superior Quality Trading, which also trades as Rekgonne Community Projects, even though the company never attended any of the required briefing sessions.

During the investigations of the Estina case, it was discovered that there were also irregularities in the financial flow analysis of a certain account. According to a police statement, large amounts of money have allegedly been deposited into a bank account belonging to the former Chief Financial Officer for the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The suspects include the former chief financial officer of the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sylvia Dlamini (49), and the former head of the department, Peter Thabethe. Mohapi is the sole director of Rekgonne Community Projects.

The criminal matter is currently before the High Court of South Africa, Bloemfontein, where they face 54 counts of fraud, theft, corruption, money laundering, forgery, and uttering to the value of R249 million.

"The matter was discovered during Estina’s financial flow analysis exercise of the bank accounts that there were irregularities and disguised payments to one of the officials," says spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Sipho Ngwema.

"It is alleged that the government officials gave a number of contracts to a company called Superior Quality Trading, which also trade as Rekgonne Community Projects, even though this company did not attend any of the department’s compulsory briefing sessions.

"The company also had a certificate of attendance even though it was not present at the compulsory briefing where these certificates were issued. Between 2012 and 2016, the department is said to have paid more than R244m to the company.

"It is further alleged that the director of Superior Quality Trading, Mohapi, paid huge sums of money into the account of Dlamini, who was the Chief Financial Officer of the department at the time. These payments were disguised as Refund Telkomsa and Medical services."

Jacaranda News