EASTERN CAPE – Sigqibo Makupula (42), the sole director to Kups Trading CC and Kups Trading, the Chief Director of Supply Chain Management at the Department of Education, Marius Harmse (54) and the wife, Elaborate Harmse (49) employed by the Department of Education as a teacher were each granted R10 000 bail by the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court on 30 November 2022.

This is subsequent to their arrest by the East London based Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation during the early hours of the day for numerous charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.

It is alleged that during 2020, Kups Trading CC was awarded a tender for supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Department of Education at the value of more than R4 million.

The information was later received that the supplier had paid an amount of R573 000-00 to a vehicle agency to top up on an amount of R277 000-00 which is alleged to have already been paid by the Chief Director at the Department of Education as down payment.

The matter was brought to the attention of the Hawks for probing hence their arrest today. The investigation revealed that these orchestrated transactions between the supplier and the Chief Director amounted to R950 000-00.

The matter was remanded to 3 March 2023 for copies of the docket’s finalisation on certain matters related to the case and legal representation.

Source: South African Police Service