A local businesswoman who lodged a complaint against the directors of a company who allegedly submitted falsified financial records to Eskom to secure a tender has emerged as a hero in a case that resulted in their arrest this week.
Directors of NJM Treatment and NDE Services (NJM), Mark Douglas Smith, Alexander Elias Roditis, Vanessa Chungu, Raymond Crozier, Guy Phillip Le Roux and Ronald James Hoy were arrested by the Hawks on Thursday and charged with fraud. They appeared before the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court on the same day, where they were granted bail of R20, 000 each. They denied the charges and indicated they intend to plead not guilty.
They are expected back in court on 29 November.
The suspects allegedly submitted false information to Eskom and Sasol in order to secure tenders, leading to an estimated loss of R400-million for the state entities.
Political parties have commended the arrests, especially the investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah Jabulani Dlamini.
The NJM bosses, who were exposed by Sunday World last year, face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Businesswoman Baseleng Zinyana, who is now believed to be based in Europe, reported acts of fraud at the company, where she had acquired 26% of company shares, which she paid for in cash in 2014.
Zinyana lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors in 2021 against the auditors of her company, NJM, for suspicion of fraudulent activities.
She said after the reviewed financial statement for the year ended February 28, 2019 was presented, the board resolved in November 2019 to appoint an audit firm to peruse the company’s books.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba welcomed the arrests.
“This case of these individuals in particular caused almost irreparable damage to our economy, leading to the current unacceptable high levels of unemployment. We hope our courts factor this during their sentencing process,” said Mashaba.
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said: “The fraudulent submission of tenders and their misrepresentation under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act is an attack on the transformative goals of economic empowerment for black people.”
