29

KZN plans to chuck out bad apples

Finance and economic development MEC Zweli Mkhize unveiled plans on Thursday to combat fraud and corruption within provincial government departments and promised swift action against criminals. (Read more...)

Taxpayer to pay for Zuma saga

The South African taxpayer is set to pay for another round of expensive litigation in which ANC president Jacob Zuma will try to convince a foreign court that the South African justice system cannot be trusted. (Read more...)

Land bank acts on ultimatum

The Land Bank has appointed accountants and a business consultancy to improve its financial management following a threat by Ernst & Young to drop its audit of the troubled institution, it said. (Read more...)

Zuma cheated taxman, says State

ANC President Jacob Zuma should not be allowed to quash "important" evidence implicating him in corruption, racketeering and multimillion-rand tax fraud, the state says.

The National Prosecuting Authority argues that one reason why he should not be allowed to do so are the "links" it says the disputed evidence shows between Zuma's former financial adviser and convicted fraudster, Schabir Shaik, and "political office-bearers". (Read more...)

28

New bank scam may be costing consumers

A reverse deposit slip scam could be costing consumers thousands of rands, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) said on Thursday. (Read more...)

ELM battles enemy within

VANDERBIJLPARK. - Four senior officials are suspended and more heads are set to roll at the troublesome, but "rejuvinating" Emfuleni Local Municipality.

On Thursday, the Emfuleni Local Municipality Mayor Dikeledi Tsotetsi called an urgent press conference to announce that the four officials are suspended due to corruption such as bribery and cheque theft. These officials include two senior technicians, a project coordinator and an administrative clerk. (Read more...)

US giant accused of fraud

A company 77-percent controlled by the government of Bahrain has accused US aluminum giant Alcoa of overcharging, fraud and bribery, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. (Read more...)

Mauritian authorities deny Zuma request

Mauritian Attorney General Rama Valayden has formally objected to a request by African National Congress president Jacob Zuma to withhold information from investigators in South Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Thursday. (Read more...)

Plot thickens in Zuma's fraud case

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has called on the Constitutional Court not to allow ANC President Jacob Zuma to question the validity of the search warrants. It says this has little chance of success. (Read more...)

Nassif's freedom 'conditional'

Johannesburg - Charges of insurance fraud against Clinton Nassif - the former security head of slain mining magnate Brett Kebble - were withdrawn in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday. (Read more...)

Major fraud accused nabbed

A woman known as Nereshini Naransamy - who is suspected of pocketing nearly a million rand by pretending to represent major companies - has been arrested, police said on Thursday. (Read more...)

'Shaik won't admit to bribe'

Schabir Shaik's lawyer says his client had "no other option" but to concede that he bribed ANC president Jacob Zuma because of the findings of the lower courts.

Although accepting the rulings of the two courts that found Shaik guilty of fraud and corruption, the lawyer stressed that Shaik had never and would never admit his guilt. (Read more...)

Pastor's son appears in court

Nelspruit - A pastor's son, who faces fraud charges amounting to R1.164m, arrived at court a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest. (Read more...)

27

Government condemns health card scam

A scam using "road to health cards" to create birth certificates for non-existent children to steal child support grants was condemned by the Eastern Cape health department on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Zuma gets his day in Mauritian court

ANC President Jacob Zuma will finally have his say before a Mauritian judge tomorrow. He wants permission to oppose attempts by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to get original documents which could be used in his corruption trial. (Read more...)

Xingwana questions Scopa's objectivity

Members of parliament's watchdog committee, Scopa, on Wednesday found themselves drawn to the centre of the Land Bank's internal politics when Land affair minister Lulu Xingwana suggested they were colluding with the institution's disgruntled employees. (Read more...)

Harsher punishment for price fixing: ANCYL

Punishment for companies involved in price fixing and related offences should be harsher and include prosecution and conviction by the prosecuting authority, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Scorpions' boss plays down success

Scorpions boss Advocate Leonard McCarthy bizarrely sought to underplay his controversial unit's image as the country's top crime-busters when he met MPs at Parliament on Tuesday.

McCarthy said that perception that the Scorpions were a mighty crime fighting unit, better than the police, was both "dangerous" and "misleading". (Read more...)

'Shaik did bribe Zuma'

Schabir Shaik has admitted he bribed ANC president Jacob Zuma "with the intention to corrupt him".

But, in a final legal bid to stop the state from confiscating R33-million from him, Shaik's lawyers on Tuesday insisted the state never proved that these bribes were the only reason Zuma used his political clout to assist his financial adviser. (Read more...)

Sharon's son begins jail term

Tel Aviv - The son of former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon began a seven-month prison sentence on Wednesday for corruption and fraud in connection with his father's Likud party leadership bid. (Read more...)

Police crack down on fake Ferrari gang

Rome - A gang that provided fake Ferrari cars to those who couldn't afford real versions of Italy's sleek motoring beauties, or to those who just wanted to give the impression of owning one, was targeted in police raids in several Italian cities, news reports said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Another training authority takes a tumble

The labour department believed the construction sector, education and training authority (Ceta) should be put under administration as happened in October last year with the Seta for the media, advertising, publishing, printing and packaging industries (Mappseta). (Read more...)

26

Secret report reveals massive MEP fraud

A report on the misuse of expenses by MEPs is likely to be kept secret by the European Parliament despite growing calls for it to be made public.

The internal audit exposes money-making scams without naming individuals and shows “embezzlement and fraud on a massive scale”, according to the MEP who revealed its existence. (Read more...)

Cop held for corruption and extortion

A police officer and an former police officer have been arrested for corruption and extorting money from foreigners, Johannesburg police said on Tuesday. (Read more...)

'SAPS employee was selling jobs'

A switchboard operator at the Nelspruit police station was arrested on Tuesday on multiple charges of corruption, said Mpumalanga police.

"The 35-year-old woman faces 30 charges of corruption dating back to 2003. She alleges that she was acting as an agent for personnel officials in the police department... and charged people hoping to get jobs R2 500 each," said Captain Leonard Hlathi. (Read more...)

Hoax e-mails: Expert hits snags

The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court adjourned on Tuesday with no clear answer as to how many files on Muziwendoda Kunene's computer were related to the "hoax e-mail" saga. (Read more...)

Correctional Services recovers R22m

With the help of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Department of Correctional Services has recovered R22 million from fraudulent and corrupt transactions since April 2006.

This was announced by National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Vernie Petersen on Tuesday, who said: "I am quite pleased with the successes registered to date through our partnership with the SIU and work of the departmental investigation unit." (Read more...)

Kunene’s computer files discussed

It was not clear how many files contained on Muziwendoda Kunene’s computer related to the "hoax email" saga, the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court heard today.

During cross examination, state witness and computer expert senior Superintendent B Grobler could not say how many files retrieved from Kunene’s Packard Bell laptop were related to the emails.

"I won’t be able to do it... because it’s a large volume of documents. My forensic investigation was not based on the relevance of the emails, but was only based on keywords," said Grobler. (Read more...)

W Cape tops in financial misconduct report

The Western Cape has reported the highest number of cases of financial misconduct among civil servants in the country, representing 44 percent of the total number of cases reported by provinces. (Read more...)

Condom scandal case postponed

The case of a former employee of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and his two co-accused has been postponed to May 7 for further investigation. (Read more...)

German tax probe targets Swiss bank subsidiary: report

A second bank in Liechtenstein, a subsidiary of the Swiss banking group Vontobel, is now the target of a landmark German tax investigation, a press report said Tuesday.

The prosecutors office in western Bochum, which is leading the probe of nearly 1,000 high earners believed to have hidden money in Liechtenstein banks, declined to comment on the report in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. (Read more...)

Shaik assets case to be heard

The Constitutional Court will hear argument today on the confiscation of assets from Schabir Shaik, following his fraud conviction relating to his relationship with ANC president Jacob Zuma. (Read more...)

ANC not auditing investment arm

The ANC is not conducting a forensic audit into empowerment deals and tenders which were received by its investment company Chancellor House, the party said on Monday. (Read more...)

E-mails were fake, says investigator

THE hard drive of the laptop confiscated from IT salesman Muziwendoda Kunene contained e-mails that had since been proven to be fake, the commander of the police service’s cyber-crime and technical support unit told the Pretoria Specialised Crimes Court yesterday. (Read more...)

EL suffers ‘epidemic’ of white collar crime

AN EAST London prosecutor yesterday described white collar crime as an epidemic in the wake of scores of convictions for theft and fraud. (Read more...)

25

Why business backs Scorpions

With organised crime gathering pace in South Africa, Business against Crime (BAC) has called on the government to entertain more views on disbanding the Scorpions. Sello S Alcock and Adriaan Basson spoke to BAC and Massmart chairperson Mark Lamberti. (Read more...)

Manuel's court bid 'threatens free speech'

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel should have considered asking for an apology rather than a gagging order against arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne, the Cape High Court was told on Monday. (Read more...)

Possible trial date for Fidentia boss in March

The case against embattled boss of Fidentia, J. Arthur Brown, has been postponed until March 17 in the Cape Town Regional Court. (Read more...)

Tax scandal rocks Europe

A tax scandal involving Liechtenstein and Germany widened on Monday as investigators from Britain to Scandinavia reportedly tried to feed off details pointing to widespread tax evasion. (Read more...)

Fidentia boss to appear in court today

Embattled Fidentia boss J. Arthur Brown is to appear in the Cape Town Regional court today. A date is expected to be scheduled for his trial on charges of fraud and theft involving millions of rands. At his previous appearance, bail conditions were reduced. (Read more...)

Billy Masetlha in the dock

Evidence in the alleged fraud case against former spy boss Billy Masetlha and his two co-accused was being heard in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court today. (Read more...)

Zuma's Mauritius court bid rejected

A Mauritian judge has refused to allow ANC president Jacob Zuma to make conspiracy claims against President Thabo Mbeki and the State in secret. (Read more...)

Release the report

HARDLY a weekend passes without some aspect of the Khampepe commission report being leaked. The report is the work of the well-reputed Judge Sisi Khampepe into the role of the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The DSO is also called the Scorpions, the elite law enforcement unit now being shut down for investigating senior ANC politicians. (Read more...)

24

Police shortage given as reason for keeping on crooked cops

SOUTH Africa’s dirty cops are keeping their jobs despite being caught breaking the law. And the shocking excuse given by their bosses for this situation is the chronic shortage of policemen. (Read more...)

Zuma 'lobbies' Mauritian PM

ANC president Jacob Zuma asked Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam to tell his ­attorney-general, Rama Valayden, to stop ignoring his lawyer, Mike Hulley, the City Press reported online on Saturday. (Read more...)

ANC calls audit of firm tied to Mbeki allies - report

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has ordered an internal audit at the party's in-house investment firm, which is controlled by allies of South African President Thabo Mbeki, the Sunday Times reported. (Read more...)

23

Global whistle-blowing website shut down

A secretive Swiss bank landed an apparently novel censorship blow against the internet this week. Anyone who tried to call up Wikileaks.org, a global website devoted to publicising leaked documents, found themselves frustrated. The site simply wasn't there any more. (Read more...)

22

Arrest of 'red-handed' lawyers queried

The Legal Aid Board is investigating the circumstances surrounding the arrest, at the Randburg Magistrate's Court, of two of its lawyers for alleged corruption, it said on Friday. (Read more...)

Law society calls for Scorpions to be retained

The Law Society Council (LSSA) has joined the cry for the Scorpions to be retained. The Society says the level of corruption in government departments makes a unit like the Scorpions necessary. (Read more...)

Self-serving public servants

Public servants who do not know how to manage money cost the state R130-million and themselves more than R1-billion in the past financial year. (Read more...)

Liberty fraud cases hit 17

Another four cases of fraud have been opened against Liberty Life in Durban — bringing the total number of cases to 17. (Read more...)

Charles Modise denied bail

Controversial businessman Charles Modise has been denied bail in the Kimberly Magistrate’s Court today.

Modise is being investigated by the Scorpions and faces various charges of fraud, forgery and corruption. (Read more...)

Former VW works committee chief jailed for two years

Germany - Former Volkswagen works committee chief Klaus Volkert sentenced to two years and nine months in jail for his role in a 2005 corruption scandal that hit Europe's biggest carmaker. (Read more...)

Testing station issues 591 fake licences

The Delmas testing station has fraudulently issued 591 driver's licences over the last five months, Mpumalanga police said on Friday. (Read more...)

21

Scorpions deny being used to settle scores

The National Prosecuting Authority has hit back at critics who accuse it of being used to settle political scores.

“To all cases that go to prosecution, evidence must exist and it must dictate that there are reasonable prospects of conducting a successful prosecution, should the matter go to court,” said spokesman Tlali Tlali.

He dispelled the perception that businessman Charles Modise’s arrest was political. (Read more...)

TransUnion plays integral part in apprehending alleged financial fraudster

Johannesburg, South Africa – 20 February 2008 A three-way task force comprised of TransUnion, South African Police Services Commercial Crimes unit and the South African Banking Risk and Information Centre apprehended Kelvin Melody Mangena, one of South Africa’s most wanted fraudsters, on Monday 21 January. (Read more...)

20

NPA out of Zuma's Mauritian court battle

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is not involved in ANC President Jacob Zuma's application being heard in a Mauritian court today. Zuma wants to prevent Mauritian authorities from making documents seized in that country available to the NPA. (Read more...)

R10bn pumped into crime fighting

Over R10-billion will be spent on strengthening the police force and judiciary over the next three years, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said in his Budget speech on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Audit clears R38bn deal linked to ANC's Moosa

The R38-billion Eskom tender awarded to an ANC-linked company is above board and followed a thorough forensic process, the power utility's chief executive officer, Jacob Maroga, had told MPs. (Read more...)

Nelspruit mayor booted out

The mayor of of Mpumalanga's capital city, Justice Nsibande, was stripped of all his executive powers on Wednesday when the provincial government placed his Mbombela council under curatorship. (Read more...)

The potential for RFID applications in Africa

Radio frequency identification (RFID) provides benefits that surpass other alternative solutions, particularly bar codes. Due to these flexible benefits, RFID has the potential to make a significant impact in Africa. (Read more...)

Fraudsters posing as SPCA officials, beware

The National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NCSPCA) says it will "nail" people who abuse the organisation's name by posing fraudulently as inspectors.

This comes after a false document was apparently used to steal a dog in the Western Cape. (Read more...)

Mbeki plotted against me, says Zuma

Jacob Zuma has accused President Thabo Mbeki and suspended national director of public prosecutions Vusi Pikoli of being the chief suspects in a conspiracy against him.

And the presidential hopeful has stated under oath that the decision to recharge him and French arms company Thint for corruption was part of a "carefully orchestrated, politically inspired and driven strategy to exclude me from any meaningful political role". (Read more...)

19

Jailed for defrauding holocaust survivors

Jerusalem - A Tel Aviv court on Tuesday sentenced an Israeli lawyer to 12 years in prison after finding him guilty of defrauding dozens of Holocaust survivors of German compensation money.

The court also fined Yisrael Perry $5,5-million over a string of charges, including stealing the equivalent of about $200-million from survivors of Nazi concentration camps. (Read more...)

Zuma backers pump up attack on Scorpions

The constitutionality of the Scorpions has come under renewed attack by critics in the ANC who are helping drive the party's Polokwane decision to disband the crime-busting unit notably top Jacob Zuma supporters Siphiwe Nyanda and Mo Shaik.

Lawyers have also advised the United Democratic Movement that there are constitutional grounds for challenging any attempt to disband the Scorpions, and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says they have instructed the lawyers to be ready to launch court action "at any moment" depending on the government's next move. (Read more...)

Hewana hearing moving at 'tortoise velocity'

The disciplinary hearing into whether Goodwood police station commissioner Siphiwo Hewana defeated the ends of justice by giving different times of Tony Yengeni's arrest has been postponed to Friday.

Hewana is accused of covering up for former chief whip of the ANC and convicted fraudster Yengeni in an alleged drunken driving incident that took place in November. (Read more...)

Pastor's son in court for fraud

Nelspruit - A pastor's son was back in the dock this week when fraud charges amounting to R1.164m were reinstated against him.

Jabulani Clement Zitha, 23, is the son of well-known spiritual leader, Pastor Josia Zitha of KaMhlushwa south of Malalane in Mpumalanga. (Read more...)

'New unit will tackle corrupt cops'

The proposed new organised crime unit under the police would not shy away from investigations targeting their own, including corrupt top cops, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula has said.

He said the government also planned to clamp down on the dissemination of false information by so-called unauthorised intelligence gatherers, which were a threat to the state. (Read more...)

'Land bank on brink of collapse'

ANC MP Salam Abram has insisted that the Land Bank is on the brink of collapse. "In any business if you have a litany of problems… then the time for closing shop is not very far," says Abram.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for a forensic audit of all staff at the farmers' funding institution. They were responding to a presentation on the bank's turnaround strategy, which they said contained nothing new. (Read more...)

Scorpions’ incorporation ‘on track’

SAFETY and Security Minister Charles Nqakula told the African National Congress (ANC) yesterday that everything was “on track” for the integration of the Scorpions into the South African Police Service (SAPS). (Read more...)

Battle for assets now in fifth year

THE Asset Forfeiture Unit yesterday continued its five-year court battle to confiscate the assets of Eastern Cape farming brothers Cornelius and Johannes Schmitt, who were convicted in December 2003 of defrauding the Land Bank of R6.9 million. (Read more...)

18

Manuel files to stop Terry's allegations

An urgent Cape High Court application by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has once again catapulted the issue of pre-publication censorship into the spotlight.

Manuel lodged the urgent application against economist and activist Terry Crawford-Browne to prevent him making further "unlawful and defamatory" allegations about arms deal-related corruption and criminal conduct against him. (Read more...)

Clarity still needed on Scorpions: Mpshe

Acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mokotedi Mpshe, in a telephonic interview with SABC this morning, says he is puzzled by different statements saying the Scorpions are to be 'disbanded' on the one hand, and 'dissolved' on the other. "They may have a certain measure of similarity, but what one would understand by 'dissolve' is that you scatter it apart. With 'disband' you have an idea of dislocating the whole organisation. (Read more...)

Limpopo official appears in court for fraud

The case against a Capricorn District Municipality official and two businessmen charged with fraud of over R4 million has been postponed to April 11. (Read more...)

Société Générale trader faced earlier inquiry

French bank Société Générale, at the centre of a huge trading scandal, began investigating trades executed by Jerome Kerviel months before his activities were exposed in January, the Financial Times reported. (Read more...)

Grave plot scam in Durban

The severe shortage of burial space in the eThekwini municipality has given rise to a scheme in which burial plots are being sold to bereaved families at R800 a plot by unscrupulous cemetery staff. (Read more...)

SACP concerned about handling of Modise probe

Only days after controversial businessman Charles Modise accused the Northern Cape premier of orchestrating a political conspiracy against him, the SA Communist Party (SACP) expressed concern at the manner in which the police handled the investigation. (Read more...)

Liberty Life: victims refunded

Most of the victims of a bogus Liberty Life broker had been refunded, the insurance company said on Monday.

The rest would be paid out shortly, said company spokesperson Mandy Denton. (Read more...)

Don’t disband the Scorpions – BACSA

Business Against Crime South Africa is fundamentally opposed to proposals to disband the Scorpions. (Read more...)

Feeding scheme action pending

THE provincial government is still awaiting a decision from the National Prosecution Authority on whether it will prosecute those implicated in the collapse of the multi-million rand School Nutrition Programme (SNP). (Read more...)

NPA: We’ll fight for Zuma papers

THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) may travel to Mauritius to oppose any moves by ANC president Jacob Zuma to stop them from accessing evidence which could possibly be used against him in a corruption trial.

The documents are said to be significant in its case against Zuma. (Read more...)

Eskom promotes corruption

Eskom's decision to shortlist World Bank blacklisted German company; Laymeyer International, amongst companies to design and provide supervision tasks for the construction of new power stations raises questions about the parastatal's lack of concern for good corporate governance. The DA calls upon Eskom to withdraw Laymeyer International from the shortlist with immediate effect in the interest of good business practice and we will be asking questions in Parliament about this relationship. (Read more...)

Why wield the big axe?

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula's startling announcement in Parliament last week that the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions) will be dissolved and phased out shows the ANC's disdain for Parliament - and could do incalculable harm to the country's over-strained criminal justice system. (Read more...)

24-hour bodyguards for SABC audit head

THE South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has hired four bodyguards to protect its head of internal audits, Elsje Oosthuizen, from being harmed or killed by high-ranking officials being probed for fraud and corruption. (Read more...)

17

Tourism board directors reject allegations

The North West Parks and Tourism Board's (NWPTB) board of directors has denied claims of financial mismanagement, corruption and poor corporate governance. (Read more...)

Pikoli: Why I was fired

Johannesburg - Suspended National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli believes his suspension was the result of political interference by President Thabo Mbeki. (Read more...)

Watch out for 'classic' cheque deposit scam

A group of fraudsters is using a common cheque scam to try and fleece unsuspecting people and businesses by claiming to have mistakenly deposited money into their bank accounts. (Read more...)

Zuma in gag bid for an open secret

Jacob Zuma went all the way to Mauritius this week to try to suppress some documents - but everyone involved in his legal tussles already knows what's in them.

Zuma's problem was that the island's law requires that anyone bringing a legal action be present in court. (Read more...)

Refco CEO Admits $2.4 Billion Securities Fraud

Disgraced boss rewarded

Instead of being brought to book for alleged gross mismanagement, including the fact that more than R80-million went missing from the KwaZulu-Natal department of agriculture, former boss Jabulani Mjwara was rewarded with maximum performance bonuses for "outstanding performance". (Read more...)

16

NPA opposes bail for 'flight risk' Modise

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it opposes bail against Pretoria businessman Charles Modise on the basis that he is a flight risk.

However, Modise's former legal representative Advocate Zahir Omar, says Modise is a victim of a trade-off gone sour. (Read more...)

15

Post-master resigns over allegations

Deutsche Post boss Klaus Zumwinkel, who is under investigation for tax evasion, has submitted his resignation, a German finance ministry spokesperson said on Friday. (Read more...)

Zuma files for invasion of privacy

African National Congress president Jacob Zuma's constitutional rights were violated when the Scorpions raided his home as well as that of his attorney, Michael Hulley, in 2005, Zuma claimed in papers filed in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on Thursday. (Read more...)

Liberty fingers five brokers

Five independent brokers had been identified as allegedly using personal client information to submit unauthorised policy applications to Liberty Life, the financial services group said on Thursday. (Read more...)

Zuma in Mauritian bid to bar evidence

Presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma has travelled more than 3 000km to wage a fresh legal battle against his prosecution for corruption.

The Star can confirm that Zuma on Thursday served notice on the Mauritian Supreme Court, asking for the right to stop 13 documents - described by the state as "damning" evidence of corruption against him and French arms company Thint - from being handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). (Read more...)

Senior officials face fraud charges

Two senior Mpumalanga traffic officials were arrested on Thursday for fraudulently issuing driving licences, said police.

The officials, both from the Inkomazi municipality in Malelane, were arrested while on duty, said Captain Leonard Hlathi. (Read more...)

14

No more Mandelas

The full transcript of Monday night’s BBC Panorama programme that has foreign investors panicked. (Read more...)

Selebi: Pikoli ready to implicate ministers

Suspended prosecuting boss Vusi Pikoli is expected to detail this week how he reported Jackie Selebi's alleged corrupt activities to top government ministers. (Read more...)

Scorpions: Papers have a say

"A disgrace", "Answers needed" and "Crushing more than the Scorpions" was how some newspaper editorials reacted on Thursday to Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula's announcement in Parliament that the Scorpions would be dissolved. (Read more...)

Zuma appeals to Constitutional Court in graft case

African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma is asking South Africa's Constitutional Court to strike down a court ruling allowing documents seized from him and his lawyer to be used in his corruption case. (Read more...)

North West suspends transport officials

Thirteen North West transport officials have been suspended on suspicion of being part of a syndicate issuing illegal taxi operating permits. (Read more...)

More fraud cases linked to Liberty Life

Two more criminal cases have been opened in Durban involving fraud linked to insurance and investment giant Liberty Life, police said on Thursday. (Read more...)

Workgroup fights fraud

Software distributor Workgroup has been forced to step up its security measures after discovering a fraudulent transaction on a customer account, possibly being perpetrated by former employees of the company's resellers. (Read more...)
 

How did Selebi get Scorpion's file?

Acting prosecuting head Mokotedi Mpshe has accused Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi of "unlawfully gaining access" to a top Scorpion's confidential human resources file. (Read more...)

First night in jail for ex-cricket head

Former United Cricket Board financial head Diteko Modise has spent his first night in jail as he awaits sentencing following his conviction on nine counts of fraud, theft and money laundering. (Read more...)

13

Taxpayers saved R520-million

Investigations into more than 500 000 social welfare grants in KwaZulu-Natal have saved the taxpayer close to R520-million that would have been lost to corruption, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Presidency mum on Masekela report

The presidency said that it would have to consult President Thabo Mbeki before commenting on a report quoting former ambassador to France Barbara Masekela.

In the report, Masekela is quoted as saying she had arranged a meeting between Mbeki and an arms company that is the co-accused in ANC president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial. (Read more...)

Goodwin features in Fidentia indictment

Steve Goodwin, the man who has been described as the "real founder" of Fidentia, has been named repeatedly in a draft indictment against J Arthur Brown. (Read more...)

If Selebi doesn’t pay bail, why should I?

If national Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi did not have to pay bail then neither should Piet Bothma, the former training official charged in the Fidentia collapse, his lawyer said yesterday. (Read more...)

Zuma in Mauritius over 'bribes'

Johannesburg - African National Congress president Jacob Zuma was in Mauritius on Wednesday in connection with the corruption case he faces.

Zuma's lawyer Michael Hulley confirmed by telephone from the Indian Ocean island that his client was meeting with legal representatives about documents held in Mauritius that allegedly contain proof of bribes being solicited. (Read more...)

Former ambassador named in Zuma's case

Papers filed by the Scorpions in support of fraud and corruption charges against Jacob Zuma name former ambassador to Paris Barbara Masekela as having received money from Jurgen Kegl, the businessman they suspect laundered R500 000 alleged to have been paid to the ANC leader by an arms company. (Read more...)

Brokers identified in Liberty fraud

Five independent brokers have been identified as allegedly using personal client information to submit unauthorised policy applications to Liberty Life, the financial services group said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Smart card ID to be launched soon

Home affairs expects to introduce the proposed new "smart card" identity document to the general public within two years, it said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Two appear on 170 charges of tax fraud

Two men, charged with about 170 cases of tax fraud, were expected to appear in the Randburg regional court on Wednesday, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said.

The Sars enforcement department's Karin Nelmapius said the men were arrested on Wednesday morning. They were found in possession of about R5-million worth of falsified tax returns.

The men, who had more than 100 companies on their books, were expected to appear for their bail application hearing at 2pm. - Sapa

Credit card fraud hits R350m

South Africa's credit card fraud soared to R350 million last year, according to a Standard Bank presentation yesterday.

This was a 34 percent increase on 2006.

The worst form of fraud was the stolen cards category, which, together with lost cards, accounted for nearly R160 million. (Read more...)

Adcock could get a R70m fine

The competition commission could fine Adcock Ingram Critical Care 10% of its annual turnover if the company is found guilty of collusion. "The critical care unit has an annual turnover of R700m and therefore the maximum fine would be in the region of R70m," said Lex van Vught, chairman of Tiger Brands (JSE: TBS) in an interview on the Moneyweb power hour today. (Read more...)

Elite crime fighters lose their sting

South Africa's elite Scorpions crime fighters will be dissolved in a blow to President Thabo Mbeki, who defended the FBI-style unit against attacks by supporters of political rival Jacob Zuma.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula announced the disbanding of the unit to cheers in parliament on Tuesday as Mbeki watched. (Read more...)

12

BBC's 'crook' questions rattle Zuma

"Are you a crook?" Jacob Zuma laughs, unsure how to respond to the brutally frank question.

He tries to make light of it, then plays for time by asking for a definition of crook.

Within half an hour last night, thousands of British TV viewers were given the impression that South Africa's democracy and the ANC's moral integrity were on a downward spiral, while crime, unemployment and Aids ravage the country. (Read more...)

IBM says cyber attacks a hit for organized crime

Armonk (NY) - A new report from IBM shows that cyber crimes are increasing in sophistication and organization "at a rate never before seen on the Internet." (Read more...)

Hunters on the trail of a wounded Tiger

Tiger Brands planned to launch its own internal probe into the price-fixing allegations in the pharmaceutical industry, the company said yesterday.

The competition commission is expected to prosecute four pharmaceutical companies, including Adcock Ingram Critical Care (AICC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tiger Brands - which is still reeling from last year's bread price-fixing scandal. (Read more...)

Mbeki told of police chief graft probe - report

President Thabo Mbeki failed to take action despite being told South Africa's police commissioner faced prosecution over his alleged links to organised crime, the Star newspaper reported on Tuesday.

"The president himself has been kept fully informed of both the fact of the investigation against Selebi and the nature of the allegations against him," the Star quoted Mpshe as saying in the filing. (Read more...)

SAPO, MTN boss face off

MTN SA's ex-MD Maanda Manyatshe and the SA Post Office (SAPO) appear today before judge Brian Southwood, in the Pretoria Motions Court.

The hearing is based on Manyatshe's R274 million defamation lawsuit against SAPO.

The action follows allegations of fraud made by SAPO's axed CEO, Khutso Mampeule, in 2006, against Manyatshe, which ultimately led to criminal charges being brought against the then MTN SA MD. (Read more...)

Charles Modise is a flight risk: State

The State has submitted documents that Pretoria businessman, Charles Modise, might be a flight risk if he is granted bail. The State argues that Modise is not a South African citizen and that he travels frequently between South Africa and Malawi, and has more than two identity documents. (Read more...)

Chip Card roll-out continues

Standard Bank (SBK) said that it issuing around 20,000 Chip and PIN cards a month as part of an ongoing exercise to match international standards and sharply improve card security. (Read more...)

Fidentia's J Arthur Brown in court

Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown made another brief appearance in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Tuesday, along with the suspended chief executive of the Transport Education Training Authority, Piet Bothma. (Read more...)

Prosecutors Say Ex-A.I.G. Executives Created a Fraud

Prosecutors in the trial of five former insurance executives insisted Monday in closing arguments that the defendants had deliberately mounted a fraud to allow the American International Group to manipulate its financial statements. (Read more...)

11

Fraudsters cheque out accounts

Yet another fraud scheme came to light earlier this week when R38 000 disappeared from a Pretoria woman's business account. (Read more...)

Doctor arrested over Indian kidney racket

An Indian doctor suspected of being behind a kidney transplant racket was arrested in Nepal on Sunday and paraded before journalists in the capital, Kathmandu.

Amit Kumar (43) is accused of running a private hospital just outside Delhi which allegedly lured or forced hundreds of poor people into giving up their kidneys, and made millions by selling their organs. (Read more...)

Nigeria says Siemens to cooperate in bribe probe

LAGOS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - German industrial group Siemens has promised to cooperate with Nigeria in investigating allegations that it gave 10 million euros ($14.6 million) in bribes to officials, the Nigerian government said on Monday. (Read more...)

No bribes, says DA

The Democratic Alliance on Monday denied flatly that it had ever offered a floor-crossing "inducement" to any councillor.

It said claims made by the African National Congress and the Independent Democrats to this effect were based on "a series of lies, half truths and distortions". (Read more...)

Home Affairs trying to root out corruption

South Africa's Home Affairs department says it is conscious of the mammoth task that lies ahead to rid the department of corruption.

This follows reports that the United Kingdom could strip South Africa of its visa free status during the course of the year. A Sunday newspaper reported that Britain's move was partly because of rampant corruption in home affairs. (Read more...)

Fraudster behind an illegal East London private college

A CONVICTED fraudster, who once spent a year in jail, has been found operating an illegal private college in East London. (Read more...)

Trade loss message to SocGen: read the fine print

Scandal-hit Societe Generale shares the plight of people who take out an insurance policy to cover the remotest eventuality only to find it pays out a pittance, the French bank disclosed on Monday.

"There is an insurance in the case of fraud but its amounts are capped and completely marginal compared with the amount of the fraud," finance director Frederic Oudea told analysts. (Read more...)

'Red tape' saves commissioner

Polokwane - Bureaucratic red tape appears to have saved Limpopo's land claims commissioner Mashile Mokono from suspension after he was formally charged with criminal fraud and perjury in a R2.5m land scam last year. (Read more...)

Police probe 'bogus brokers' in KZN

Durban police are investigating ten cases of fraud linked to national insurance and investment giant, Liberty Life.
 

All ten cases were opened in the Durban area between December 2007 and January 2008. (Read more...)

Police detain 76 in Internet fraud probe

Police in Spain have detained 76 people across the country as part of what they described yesterday as their biggest-ever probe into Internet fraud. (Read more...)

Money mag fights back over brag allegations

Publishing giant Media24’s business magazine Finweek claims it will today declare a formal dispute with the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Finweek hit back after the ABC said an audit revealed the magazine had overstated and misclassified the number of magazines it sold in 2006 and 2007. (Read more...)

10

Arms deal company probed

Executives at Germany's main warship-building company, which built the four frigates and three submarines involved in South Africa's controversial multi-billion-rand arms deal, are being investigated over claims that they offered kickbacks in Angola for an order, the weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported last week. (Read more...)

Whistle-blower cop ‘victimised’

A Durban cop who spilled the beans about alleged corruption at the Isipingo police station claims he is being victimised. (Read more...)

Mbeki fights for Scorpions

AN INTENSE battle over the future of the Scorpions is raging between the government and the ANC.

Sources close to the escalating stand-off between Mbeki and the forces that defeated him at the ANC’s Polokwane conference in December said the President planned to appeal to public opinion to help keep the Scorpions intact so that they could continue their fight against organised crime. (Read more...)

SA passports ‘not worth the paper’

A DIARY in a home in Mayfair, Johannesburg, sparked South Africa’s visa crisis with Britain.

Seized in a raid by South African detectives on April 4 2006, the business diary, allegedly belonging to Joburg businessman Inayat Patel, 35, contained the names of 89 Indian citizens who had been issued with South African passports by corrupt Home Affairs officials.

Within weeks, British authorities confirmed the 89 Indian citizens had entered the UK using the passports — and a multi- national people-smuggling conspiracy was exposed. (Read more...)

09

Who's drawing cash with your ATM card?

If you are using your bank card to make transactions at the ATM, be warned: your money isn’t safe. (Read more...)

Scam artists arrested

Three men who "arrested" numerous people across northern KwaZulu-Natal for supposedly stealing a roll of money before robbing them, were themselves arrested near Newcastle yesterday, police said. (Read more...)

08

McBride doctor, police officer in court

A Pretoria medical doctor and a former Ekurhuleni Metro Police officer on Thursday appeared in the Pretoria district court again, on charges stemming from their alleged unlawful assistance to Robert McBride after he was involved in an accident in 2006. (Read more...)

Police bust rent and ID scam gang

Three women believed to be part of a syndicate that supplies fake identity documents, police salary slips and letters of employment were arrested by Durban police, the Witness newspaper reported on Friday. (Read more...)

Fraud charges are filed in alleged child-care scheme

More than 50 people were charged in a $3 million child-care scam that involved bogus corporations and child-care facilities set up to receive state welfare funds, the Los Angeles County district attorney said Thursday. (Read more...)

Study your prospects

The Companies Act provides only limited protection from fraudsters. But under the law any company that wants to sell its shares to the public must issue a prospectus – a document that is supposed to provide you with extensive information about your prospective investment, including its financial health, its risks, and what it intends to do with your money. Scamsters can lie in a prospectus, but a careful examination of this public face of the company may help you detect the danger signs. (Read more...)

French Police Question Second Trader in Bank Fraud Case

French police were holding a second person for questioning about the loss of billions at bank Societe Generale, a judicial official said Friday.

The person, who worked at a brokerage partially owned by Societe Generale, was taken into custody on Thursday and was still being held, said the official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case. (Read more...)

Merck settling fraud charges for $671 million

In one of the biggest U.S. health care fraud settlements ever, Merck & Co. will pay $671 million to settle claims it overcharged the government for four popular drugs and bribed doctors to prescribe its drugs, federal prosecutors said yesterday. (Read more...)

Scorpions' sting in tail for ANC

The ANC is poised to pluck the sting from the Scorpions in a move that no one outside the party believes is unconnected to the elite crime-busters' many successes in fighting corruption and dishonesty, including several cases involving politicians and party loyalists within the heart of the ANC itself. (Read more...)

Scorpions ‘fear for job security’

A trade union representing members of the elite Scorpions unit has warned that it could take legal action to block their incorporation in the SAPS. (Read more...)

Finweek under fire in ‘bragazine’ scam

Media24 is again under fire over a scam aimed at boosting the circulation figures of some of its prominent magazine titles.

The Times has learnt that there could now be doubt over the circulation figures of Media24’s weekly business magazine, FinWeek.

Audit Bureau of Circulations board member Gordon Patterson confirmed that the board had heard presentations from Patricia Scholtemeyer, former Media24 magazine division chief , and from a forensic auditor yesterday. (Read more...)

07

Settling Up on a Half-Billion-Dollar Fraud

A former managing director of KPMG Consulting LLC settled accusations by securities fraud investigators that he aided and abetted a scheme to receive investors in a corporate accounting fraud.

Larry A. Rodda agreed to pay an $80,000 penalty to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that furthered the financial fraud orchestrated by senior executives at Peregrine Systems Inc., a San Diego software company that has since been acquired by Hewlett-Packard Co. (Read more...)

Elderly targeted in load-shedding scam

A smartly dressed con artist is cheating pensioners in Pretoria out of their money by claiming that Eskom will not target them for load shedding if they buy a special certificate from him that "ensures" exemption. (Read more...)

Scorpions ‘not on the agenda’

The Scorpions are not on the agenda at a government justice and security cluster meeting in Cape Town today, a justice ministry spokesman told Sapa. (Read more...)

ANC will block any new arms deal probe

The ANC will close ranks against any attempt to reopen investigations into the contentious multibillion-rand arms deal, as ruling-party MPs threaten to take a partisan position on the matter next week.

The heated debate erupted in parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Tanzanian PM resigns after alleged graft

Dar es-Salaam - Tanzania's Prime Minister Edward Lowassa told parliament on Thursday he had tendered his resignation to the president after being implicated in a corruption scandal over an energy deal. (Read more...)

Cape spy commission illegal: Zille

The Erasmus Commission appointed to look into the Cape Town city council "spy" saga is "unlawful and unconstitutional", city mayor Helen Zille said today. (Read more...)

Worms infest PCs

Panda Security SA CE Jeremy Matthews says last month saw a drastic increase in the use of worms to steal confidential company data.

Matthews says Panda Security's malware analysis and detection laboratory attributes the 50% increase in the use of worms to cyber criminals keen to commit online fraud or identity theft. He adds that the worm-de-jour is storm worms. (Read more...)

Training body boss leaves under cloud

The construction education and training authority (Ceta), which has been buffeted by accusations of lack of delivery and allegations of mismanagement of funds, fraud and corruption, has confirmed the dismissal of its chief executive, Teboho Thejane. (Read more...)

06

Negligent handling of public funds exposed

A R28 900 cheque for flowers was paid over by the uMgungundlovu District Municipality a week before the official payment request was even made by the florist.

That is just one of many questionable transactions and financial irregularities uncovered in a KwaZulu-Natal treasury audit report into affairs at the troubled district municipality - into which fall Pietermaritzburg/Msunduzi and six other Midlands municipal areas. (Read more...)

Visa to zero

Often a gullible job seeker will respond to any advert that promises to brighten their future – even if they have to pay for it.

Like many other desperate job hunters, Melda van Wyk, 51, responded to one such advert placed in the classified section of a local newspaper.

MJK Work Abroad Agency, located in the Johannesburg CBD, on the 8th floor at ILPA House in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, had advertised that they could get her a visa within four weeks so that she could work overseas. They charged her R5000 for the service. (Read more...)

Govt's plan to disband Scorpions in full swing

Government is moving ahead with its plan to incorporate the Scorpions into the police. The Justice and Security Cluster is meeting in Cape Town tomorrow to discuss the details. (Read more...)

DUT 'chaos': 'free education not the reason'

The R175-million debt at Durban's University of Technology (DUT) is a manifestation of deep-seated and embedded corruption during the merger process, the Young Communist League said on Wednesday. (Read more...)

Arms deal probe on Scopa agenda

The DA has lauded Parliament’s public accounts committee (Scopa) chairman Themba Godi’s decision to place the DA’s request for Scopa to reopen the arms deal probe on the agenda. (Read more...)

Zambia police chief says his force highly corrupt

Zambia's police chief has told his officers that they are the most corrupt state employees in the country where President Levy Mwanawasa is leading a drive against graft. (Read more...)

Traffic cop guilty on 92 raps

Mokopane - A Limpopo traffic officer was given a six-year suspended sentence on Tuesday after being found guilty on 92 charges of fraud.

Johan Beetge was found guilty in Mokopane Magistrate's Court of fraudulently selling driver's licences. (Read more...)

Four more NW transport officials suspended

Four more officials from the North West transport department have been suspended, the department said today.

Spokesperson James Moche said the officials had been suspended with full pay, after allegations of misconduct involving the issuing of fraudulent taxi operating licences and other documents, were levelled against them. (Read more...)

South African companies not bad in ethical compliance

Majority of companies listed on the Johannesburg Security Exchange are ethically conscious and also report on the ethical climate within their organizations.

This is according to a research conducted by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Business and Professional Ethics (CBPE). (Read more...)

05

Council probes fraud claims

Makhuduthamaga Municipality in Limpopo has suspended its acting chief financial officer over allegations of fraud and corruption levelled against him. (Read more...)

'Fraud scandal' hits municipal pension fund

The Scorpions, Financial Services Board and the National Finance Minister are investigating allegations of financial mismanagement in the Municipal Council Pension Fund.

News of the alleged financial scandal - believed to involve millions of rands - broke during an urgent meeting of the West Rand District Council today. It could jeopardise the pension funds of local councillors across the country. (Read more...)

French trader refuses to be 'scapegoat' for SocGen losses

French trader Jerome Kerviel said on Tuesday he refuses to be a "scapegoat" for multi-billion euro rogue trade losses at Societe Generale bank, in an exclusive interview with AFP.

"I was designated (as solely responsible) by Societe Generale. I accept my share of responsibility but I will not be made a scapegoat for Societe Generale," he said, in his first interview since the scandal broke last month. (Read more...)

Auditors to assist Travelgate accused

Legal aid authorities are to put out a tender for forensic auditors to assist the defence team in the Travelgate case, which involves four travel agents charged with parliamentary travel voucher fraud. (Read more...)

Country to lose its best crime-fighters

On January 19 the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) met in Midrand.

The night before the NEC met, enraged commuters burnt six trains after power cuts brought them to a halt. Inside the meeting halls, however, the NEC was preoccupied with something different: how to shut down the Scorpions, South Africa's specialised and elite crime-fighting unit. (Read more...)

Scorpion's fraud trial in April

The fraud and corruption case of former Scorpions boss Geoffrey Ledwaba has been postponed in the Pretoria commercial crimes court.

"The case has been postponed to April 7 for trial," said State prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach. (Read more...)

Millions wasted on ‘phantom’ immigrants

THE Home Affairs Department has wasted more than R56 million in detaining illegal immigrants, according to the auditor-general’s 2007 annual report.

The department had to pay a contractor for a fixed number of immigrants, regardless of the actual number detained, wrote the auditor-general (A-G) in the report. (Read more...)

04

Gullible investors conned in Pretoria

A case of fraud has been opened at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria against a man who allegedly promised gullible investors huge returns.

More than 200 people were apparently conned into depositing a minimum amount of R150 000 into the account of the Westside Group of Companies with the promise of a R25 000 monthly return. (Read more...)

Internal controls failed to stop Societe Generale scandal: minister

A failure of internal controls at Societe Generale contributed to the bank's multi-billion-dollar rogue trade scandal, France's finance minister said Monday, calling for tougher penalties for breaches of regulations.

"Certain internal control mechanisms at Societe Generale did not work and those that did were not always followed up with the appropriate changes," Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said. (Read more...)

Former Scorpions Ops boss refuses to plead

Former Scorpions Head of Operations Geoffrey Ledwaba has refused to plead in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on 23 charges of fraud and theft. Ledwaba is accused of stealing more than R500 000 from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). (Read more...)

Students paid for vice-chancellor’s misrule

The chickens have come home to roost for Aubrey Mokadi, the fallen vice-chancellor of Vaal University of Technology (VUT), almost two years after a government inquiry described his management style as dictatorial and “delusional”. (Read more...)

Fraud hits 12 year high in 2007

Britain’s fraud problem shows no sign of abating, with over £1bn of fraud coming to court in 2007 according to KPMG Forensic’s Fraud Barometer - the highest value since 1995 and the second highest in the 20 year history of the Barometer. The number of cases coming to court fell to 197 from 277 in 2006, but this remains a higher number than seen in any year prior to 2005. (Read more...)

Gardener: They used me

An East London couple is expected to be summoned to court after they allegedly used their gardener as a "front" to win lucrative government tenders.

Raymond Harty and his wife Debbie have been under investigation since October last year after their former gardener, Mpangeli Mawonga, became aware that there was a company registered in his name that he did not know about. (Read more...)

State will get cream from fixed milk price

The competition trial into the milk price-fixing scam could net the government as much as R1-billion in administrative penalties.

This is because all penalties paid by companies found guilty of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour by the competition tribunal are not put back in the affected industry, but into the department of finance’s coffers.

This was the case with the R98.9- million fine paid by Tiger Brands for its role in the bread price-fixing scandal. (Read more...)

02

Red Cross's missing millions

Millions of rands of international donor funds intended to be used by the Red Cross Society in KwaZulu-Natal to provide succour for children debilitated by HIV/Aids have disappeared. (Read more...)

The men accused of sinking Saambou

When it became clear that Saambou Bank was in serious financial difficulty in 2002, it set off an unprecedented run on the bank by desperate clients who withdrew R1-billion of their savings.

Fearing they would lose their money, clients converged on the bank in droves, and precipitated the collapse of what was then South Africa's seventh biggest bank. (Read more...)

Court makes exception for a smiling Selebi

The former head of Interpol and suspended national commissioner of police, who is officially on extended leave, had his hour in the dock of the Randburg magistrates' court on Friday morning.

And it even looked, for a minute, as if Jacob Sello Selebi, charged with three counts of corruption and one of defeating the ends of justice, might have to spend time in the cells.

Magistrate Stanley Mkhari upbraided both Thanda Mngwengwe, the prosecutor, and Jaap Cilliers, Selebi's lead counsel, for not doing things by the book. (Read more...)

Fake CVs reach an all-time high

Companies taking on new staff should be vigilant because fraudulent curriculum vitae accompanying job applications have reached epidemic proportions in South Africa.

A recent survey by Kroll, a leading screening consultancy company, revealed that the overall number of potential employees lying on their CVs has soared from 36,5 percent in 2005 to an astounding 49,4 percent in 2006. (Read more...)

'Let Mbeki tell everyone why he suspended me'

While the government wants the case of suspended National Prosecuting Authority boss Vusi Pikoli to be held behind closed doors, his legal team say there's no threat to national security if it's open to the public.

"The bulk of the matters to be raised are already in the public domain, including the Jackie Selebi issue and the Browse Mole report," Pikoli's lawyer, Aslam Moosajee, said on Friday. (Read more...)

01

Fidentia financial director jailed

The financial director of Fidentia, Graham Maddock, was today effectively jailed for seven years, on 54 counts involving fraud, theft, money laundering, contraventions of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, and the reckless or fraudulent conduct of business. (Read more...)

Saambou’s tangled web

A COMPLICATED sequence of transactions undertaken by senior officials of Saambou Bank and Saambou Holdings in 1998 resulted in the bank’s primary capital being far less than its secondary capital, the Pretoria High Court heard yesterday. (Read more...)

S.Africa court adjourns police chief graft case

South Africa's police chief appeared in court on Friday in a corruption case that has rattled the political establishment and he was released with a warning after the hearing was adjourned until June.

National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi was ordered by the magistrate to return to the court on June 26, when he is expected to face charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering. It was his first appearance in the case. (Read more...)

How Kebble's ghost will haunt Selebi

When Jackie Selebi steps into the Randburg Regional Court on Friday, he faces a case cast in a matrix of evidence that appears solid enough to withstand the vacillations of Glen Agliotti, the prosecution's fragile star informant. He also faces the ghost of Brett Kebble.

Unlike most accused, Selebi knows the details of the case against him.

That is because, in response to Selebi's Pretoria High Court bid to interdict the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the NPA disclosed the main elements of its case, including the report of the independent panel that reviewed the decision to prosecute him. (Read more...)

Friends and Foes

As National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi prepares to step into the dock tomorrow, The Mercury brings you the second instalment of the sticky web spun around the top cop and the men and women wriggling in it.

After two years of investigations, the Scorpions’ case against Selebi has been exposed in court documents, statements and reports. (Read more...)