By Monica Laganparsad
The sister of Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, together with two co-accused, appeared in the Durban regional court on Tuesday on charges relating to more than 70 counts of fraud.
Hlobisile Ngxongo, Khethiwe Mdlalosa and Mphondi Siyaya have pleaded not guilty to fraud amounting to R3,8-million.
Ngxongo, who is the sister of Dlamini-Zuma, formerly the minister of health, was the director of a company called Maputoland Women's Organisation, the court heard.
The organisation, which was contracted to the department of health, was allocated an advance payment of R1,7-million.
The accused were believed to have deposited cheques, which were supposedly "cancelled", into the organisation's account. Some of cheques amounted to between R25 000 and R76 000.
The other charges related to claims made to the department on requisition forms.
According to the department's claims procedure, a computer-generated claim form with a supplier's invoice has to be attached to the requisition form. The money would then be deposited into the claimant's bank account.
The court heard that in the case of the Ngxongo's organisation, the monies that were claimed and deposited into the account could not be accounted for.
According to evidence presented in court, the money paid to the organisation's bank was subsequently not paid out to the suppliers.
The matter is proceeding.