A case of fraud against eight suspects including a former South African State Theatre (SAST) employee has been postponed to February 2024.
This after they were arrested on Tuesday and appeared before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime court on Wednesday following a probe by the National Serious Corruption Investigation team.
They have all been released on bail ranging between R1 500 and R5 000, which was not opposed.
It is alleged that Thabo Abel Mashaba, Patricia Sibongile Mabena, Dimakatso Beauty Konaite (Masilo), Innocentia Buang Matseke, Dimakatso Francina Mashishi, Pauline Moraba Hlongwane, Mokgadi Getrude Mooka, and Maletsatsi Anne Motswetsi were a part of money-laundering, fraud and theft which was reported in November 2018.
Tender process manipulation
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale alleged that employees from the theatre manipulated the supply chain process and processed payments for their own gain.
“It is alleged that two employees from SAST siphoned money for their own personal gain as they flaunted the supply chain management processes,” said Mogale.
The two employees allegedly utilised letter heads of existing companies to create fictitious invoices.
“They did this without the knowledge of the actual companies but changed the banking details to those belonging to the suspects’ relatives, resulting in the total amount stolen of R24-million,” Mogale said.
According to Mogale, three of the accused were ordered to hand over their travelling documents to the investigating officer, so they do not escape the country.
The case has been postponed to February 27 for disclosure and final decision.
In a separate incident in 2020, the Pretoria High Court ordered two former employees of the national state theatre to pay back the money that they were implicated in embezzling over a number of years.
Mokgadi Mooka and Sibongile Mabena, worked at the State Theatre as creditors clerks.
Mabena was part of the supply chain management team and the pair worked closely to misappropriate the funds.
Between the two of them, and their alleged accomplices, judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen ordered that they pay back a total sum of R24 681 265.01.
