Eight suspects have been arrested for fraud. File Picture
Police in the Western Cape have confirmed the arrest of eight suspects in connection with fraud and corruption linked to a tender case within the City of Cape Town.
The arrests form part of a protracted investigation into alleged fraudulent and corrupt activities in the City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Directorate.
The police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the Western Cape SAPS’ Commercial Crimes Unit detectives along with the Anti-Gang Unit’s Organised Crime Investigators arrested a suspect on Monday.
“Investigators swooped on a location in the Eastern Cape where they arrested a 46-year-old suspect on Monday evening. The arrest follows an investigation initiated by commercial crimes detectives that saw the investigators descending on the City of Cape Town offices in March 2023 and seizing a number of items as part of their probe,” Potelwa said.
She said that as the investigation continued to unfold, another team from the same policing units also arrested three suspects in Johannesburg earlier on Tuesday.
As the takedown was underway, an additional four suspects were arrested simultaneously in Cape Town.
“All four suspects arrested outside of Cape Town are currently being brought to Cape Town where they are expected to join other suspects and appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, September 11, on charges that relate to money laundering, racketeering, corruption, and extortion fraud,” Potelwa said.
She said the arrests are seen as a significant milestone in this major investigation with the suspects charged and brought before court and the possibility of further arrests in the matter cannot be ruled out.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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