Walter Qusheka, a director of Garden to Floors cleaning company that trades as Qush cleaning services, had his assets restrained.
This after the asset forfeiture unit obtained a provisional restraint order against his property after his company was implicated in corruption at the University of Fort Hare.
The order also relates to five other defendants including Qusheka’s wife.
On Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the current value of the restrained assets is R14.3-million.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the value is expected to increase as the court-appointed curator investigates the assets of the defendants.
“The alleged corrupt activities at the university where Qush had a contract with the university expired at the end of its determined period in 2015,” said Tyali.
“However, a university official, Thobile George, the former contracts manager at Fort Hare, unilaterally extended the contract on a month-to-month basis, resulting in a loss for the university of R19.2-million.
George did not have the lawful power to contract on behalf of the university.”
The NPA revealed that the amount is made up of multiple invoices that were submitted to the university and were paid to Qush for services including additional cleaners, and once-off cleaning after events or accidental incidents such as flooding.
“When Fort Hare officials were queried about the additional cleaning services, it turned out that there were no additional cleaners that were employed nor were there instances of once-off cleaning that had transpired,” said Tyali.
“The evidence presented in court also revealed that George received payments from Qush, which amounted to R4-million and were paid into the bank account of a company that he is the director of.
“George, Walter and Vuyokazi Qusheka, Yolisa Songca, Lungelwa Finwana, and Yandiswa Sonamzi face criminal charges of fraud and corruption.”
The matter has been postponed to August 4 for the setting of a trial date in the East London regional court.
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