The Special Tribunal has granted the Special Investigating Unit and the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) an order to freeze R42 million worth of luxury properties and funds linked to Johannesburg businessman Hamilton Ndlovu.

This was hot on the heels of a similar preservation order obtained by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) seizing R60 million.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has over the past year investigated corruption allegations and the circumstances in which eight companies directly and indirectly linked to Ndlovu, obtained contracts worth a total of R172 million for the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)  from the NHLS.

In a statement on Thursday, the SIU said: “The properties and money are preserved pending a review application which will be brought by the SIU and the NHLS to set aside the procurement transactions and to require Mr. Ndlovu and the recipients of the funds to pay back the money.

“The SIU and NHLS have ascertained that the transactions were obtained by abusing the emergency procurement procedures that were adopted by the NHLS in order to respond to the COVID-19 disaster during the first half of 2020.”

In terms of the order, Ndlovu and other respondents are prohibited from dealing in any manner with the funds and properties (including selling or transferring or mortgaging the properties) pending the final resolution of review proceedings to be brought by the SIU and the NHLS.

Source: South African Government News Agency