Mercy Phetla, the City of Matlosana’s chief financial officer, was placed under arrest on Monday.
Phetla was taken into custody with Variegated’s official, Tiisetso Sebetlele, who provides services to the municipality.
Variegated was asked to supply the municipality with electrical equipment valued at R2.9-million in January.
It is purported that the electrical equipment was not delivered to the municipality.
This was in spite of Mamatebesi Tsimane, the manager of the municipal store, claiming that she received and signed the equipment.
Following Tsimane’s claim to have received goods, Variegated received a payment from the municipality of R2.9-million.
Non-delivery of equipment
Phetla and Sebetlele were investigated as a result of a dispute over the non-delivery of electrical equipment.
According to information that Sunday World was able to obtain, the Hawks investigating officer questioned Sebetlele last week about the reason why he had taken R300 000 out of his business account following the investigations.
“The investigating officer wanted to know what Tiisetso did with the money he had withdrawn.
“However, Tiisetso explained that he used the money to buy stuff for his business, including paying a loan shark,” according to an insider at the council.
Phetla informed Sunday World that on Monday, the police had called her to turn herself in.
She further claimed that Sebetlele had been instructed by the police to frame her, saying that they wanted Sebetlele to claim that he had given her R300 000.
“Tiisetso told me that the investigating officer had stated to him that he gave me R300 000. In honesty, I did not receive R300 000 from Tiisetso or anyone else,” Phetla said.
“Tiisetso told me that the police told him to frame me because they wanted me arrested. He was told that if he was not doing as told, he would go down with me.”
She claimed that the police were using devious methods to coerce people into telling lies about things that were not true.
Matlosana politics are dirty
“The CFO [chief financial officer] was suspended from work after the allegations of paying variable R2.9-million, and investigations were conducted over the matter, and a report was sent to the council; however, the council doesn’t want to make the report public because it is exonerating Mercy [Phetla],” said an insider
“Those who have a report are aware that she has been cleared of any wrongdoing, and they don’t want to take the report to the council to be tabled.
“The politics of Matlosana are dirty.”
At the time of publishing this article, Phetla and Sebetlele had already handed themselves over to the police on Monday.
Sebetlele did not respond to questions sent to him on Sunday to comment about allegations that he gave Phetla R300 000.
