Pretoria – Two businessmen based in Limpopo, Jack Maake and Matome Prince Mathole, made another appearance before the Polokwane Commercial Crimes Court, facing charges of corruption.
Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said the Hawks arrested Maake, 44, and Mathole, 34, in November last year after they allegedly tried to bribe an undercover investigator of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
During the court appearance on Wednesday, Malabi-Dzhangi said the two accused men appointed new legal representatives.
“It is alleged that the two accused persons attempted to bribe an SIU investigator with R300 000 in order for him to rule out part of a report that recommended for their company to be criminally charged with corruption and also for the investigator to make favourable findings to their company, Twin Corner,” she said.
“Jack Maake was arrested after the Hawks set a trap at a hotel in Polokwane when handing over a gratification of R300 000 to the SIU investigator.”
The case was postponed to 25 November for the new legal representatives of the accused to peruse the copies of the docket.
In August, the Hawks in Limpopo arrested 13 suspects from Mokgalakwena Local Municipality who are suspected of tender fraud and corruption in an ongoing investigation.
The suspects arrested include former senior municipal officials, company directors, and the wife of a municipal official.
The municipality, which has been under administration for the past decade, has been marred by financial irregularities, corruption, tender irregularities and political instability that has seen infighting among ANC councillors in the municipality.
Speaking to Pretoria News at the time, Hawks spokesperson, Matimba Maluleke, said during the arrests, they seized a BMW 1 series belonging to the girlfriend of one of the arrested official’s.
IOL