By line: Andani Matumba
23 February 2022
A 40-year-old suspect is due to appear before the Bushbuckridge Magistrates’ Court today, 23 February 2022 after he was arrested by the Mpumalanga Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation at Medupi power station in Lephalale, Limpopo province for theft and corruption.
The team pursued the suspect who was hiding in Limpopo.
According to Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, the suspect impersonated an official from the Department of Health conducting a recruitment drive, reaching out to gatherings like churches and other places where he could find unemployed youth in numbers.
“He also hired two females who could go around recruiting and promising people enrollment at the Nursing Training College which would guarantee employment at the Department of Health”, added Sekgotodi.
The two females were arrested on 10 May 2021 and appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrates’ Court.
They were released on bail and the case was postponed to 31 March 2022.
The bogus recruiters demanded money for enrollment from all the prospective nursing trainees.
It is further alleged that more than 75 unemployed youth paid the money into the suspects’ accounts in 2016 and 2017 which amounts to R610 000, 00.
The victims were never employed as promised.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Zodwa Mokoena says the matter was reported to the Hawks in 2018 and investigation revealed that the suspects were not the employees of any department.
“I applaud the team that managed to pursue the accused in Limpopo and the suspect will be later joined with the co-accused,” added Mokoena.
She further warned the public not to be deceived by anyone who will be demanding money promising them employments.
