DURBAN – A former Buffalo City Metro Municipality clerk has been arrested by the Hawks for his alleged involvement in fraud and money laundering.
Andile Mlawuli, 35, was arrested on Thursday by the Hawks’ East London Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for allegedly depositing municipal funds into the bank accounts of his friends, purportedly as retention fees for issued tenders.
Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, a spokesperson for the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, said the suspect allegedly enriched himself at the expense of service providers who had been appointed by the city.
“His modus operandi was that he would identify projects where tenders had been awarded but there were retention funds that had not been claimed by the service providers.
“The accused would then prepare payment packs with falsified documents purporting to be those from service providers.
“The funds would then be deposited into bank accounts belonging to his friends and relatives for withdrawals,” said Mgolodela.
The Hawks said payments amounting to more than R140 000 had been fraudulently made to Mlawuli’s friends and relatives.
He was released on R1 000 bail at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and the case is expected back in court on Friday, April 23, where a trial date is expected to be set.
IOL