Cape Town - Disgraced former Cederberg mayor Jonas White has been arrested and charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering along with a former acting municipal manager and a local businesswoman, who was a service provider for the municipality.
White, who was stripped of his mayoral title and kicked out of the ANC earlier this year after sending lewd pictures to his deputy, Lorna Scheepers, including one of his erect penis covered in cream and decorated with a strawberry, handed himself over to the Hawks recently after an arrangement was made with all three accused.
White and his co-accused, Bianca Mankay and current municipal official Louis Volschenk - who was acting municipal manager at the local government authority in 2011 when the crime was allegedly committed - briefly appeared in the Clanwilliam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
All three face charges of fraud, although White and Mankay face two additional charges of money laundering and corruption.
White and Mankay, both claiming unemployment during their court appearance, were released on R1 000 bail each, while Volschenk had to cough up R3 000 bail.
The trio were released on strict conditions, one being that they could not leave the province or contact any of the State witnesses.
The case was postponed to February 6 to allow White and Mankay to obtain legal representation.
The Cederberg municipality on Thursday confirmed the trio’s arrest.
Municipal manager Ian Kenned said the municipality had given its full co-operation to the Hawks investigators since the start of the probe.
“We will now let the law take its course,” Kenned said.
A source with close links to the investigation said the charges related to an incident in December 2011 when White, as mayor of Cederberg municipality, allegedly solicited and accepted a kickback of R60 000 from a municipal service provider for a tender to supply food parcels during a municipal event. Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko could not be reached for comment.
White was expelled in June from the ANC after an ANC disciplinary committee found him guilty of six counts of sexual harassment, fraud and corruption.
The ANC’s disciplinary hearing also found White guilty of accepting a R60 000 bribe from Mankay, a contractor to the municipality.
Meanwhile, Local Government MEC Anton Bredell welcomed the arrest and issuing a stern warning to other municipal officials: “Any municipal official who makes himself guilty of a crime, corruption or fraud will be dealt with harshly by the law. We will get you and you will answer for your crimes.”
Cape Argus