Hawks Confirm 7 Suspects To Appear In Court Over Vbs Heist

Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya said those who had been suspected of money laundering and fraud at VBS are expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Lebeya and NPA head Shamia Batohi briefed the media on the progress made in the VBS Mutual Bank heist matter on Wednesday.

Lebeya explained that early morning simultaneous raids were conducted in Gauteng and Limpopo.

Those arrested included former VBS and Vele Investments chairperson Tshifhiwa Matodzi, the alleged kingpin behind the heist.

Former board members and senior KPMG auditors were also rounded up earlier today and were charged with corruption and money laundering among others.

The eighth suspect is in quarantine after contracting COVID-19 and is expected to be arrested soon.

Lebeya said: “The allegations are that the chairman and the executive CEO signed the director’s responsibility statement to the annual financial statement that was prepared by the chief financial officers of VBS. The investigation has revealed that the eight men, who are the suspects, either directly or indirectly benefited at least R122,287, 863, which was not due.”

Godfrey said that their investigation had revealed that 20 municipalities deposited over R3 billion to VBS but only got R2.2 billion back.

“Our investigation revealed that 20 municipalities deposited R3.7 billion of which R2.2 billion was paid back, leaving an amount of R1.5 billion in VBS.

“It was decided to charge the suspects with 47 counts of criminal offences – these are five counts of the pattern of racketeering, 12 of these counts are of theft, common law offence, 7 are for fraud, which is also common law offences, 15 counts are for corruption in terms of the contravention of the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act.”

The suspects are expected to appear at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Thursday.

NPA chief Shamia Batohi said the advancements by the Hawks were a milestone and they would be making arrests where they have to.

“The country must rest assured that we will prosecute wherever the evidence takes us.”

DELAYING TACTICS WILL BE OPPOSED BY THE NPA

Batohi said the NPA was intent upon the prosecution matters being finalised as speedy as possible.

“But what we have found in a number of high profile cases is that there is a strategy to delay matters and to deal with a number of interlocutory applications and the prosecution can’t really control that. But we have decided as the NPA, we are going to take a much more vigorous stance with regard to these dilatory tactics and that we have sought council’s views on this.”

Batohi said they were putting together strategic responses to ensure that these dilatory tactics are opposed by the NPA as far as the bails were concerned.

WATCH: NPA, Hawks give update on VBS case

EWN