R50K bail for man in R7.5m theft case

A KZN businessman arrested for his alleged involvement in theft from COGTA was granted bail of R50 000.

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal businessman, Mex Dhladla, was arrested by the Hawks commercial crime unit for his alleged involvement in the theft of R7.5 m from the provincial Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) was granted bail of R50 000 on Wednesday. The self-employed restaurateur, will appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court again on February 1.

Dhadla handed himself over to the Hawks on Wednesday morning.

Cogta spokesman, Lennox Mabaso, said the department and the Hawks were now searching for a female employee who had disappeared, after the department picked up the discrepancy.

Mabaso said the money had been earmarked for Ingwe Municipality in southern KZN.

He said the official managed to bypass an “already complex biometrics procedure” for settling government invoices by rerouting the R7.5m payment to a private account.

“The department was quick to pick up the audit trail in the accounting system and identified the alleged culprit who has since vanished.” Mabaso said.

He said the department was also investigating whether the employee was aided by others both internally and externally.\

Daily News

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