marine1
Honorary Master
http://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/malema-ally-detained-1.1172246
****ing kidding me?
Investigations unit, the Hawks, briefly detained Jacob Lebogo – a key ally of embattled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema – in their probe of corruption fraud and money laundering involving millions of rand in tenders.
The Sunday Independent can today reveal that the ANCYL Limpopo secretary Lebogo was detained for questioning as soon as he left his Polokwane home almost two months ago.
According to two sources close to the investigation into corruption charges against Malema, Lebogo was found with cash estimated at R2 million on his person and some notes in his car.
Lebogo’s brief detention was part of a province-wide investigation into tender irregularities in Limpopo, which are said to benefit Malema and his close allies.
A source close to the investigation said the Hawks would decide later whether to press charges against Lebogo or not.
“The idea (reason for not charging him yet) is to check whether he will be useful in the case against Malema or if his is a stand-alone case that must be pursued as such. But he could prove to be a useful pawn later,” said the source.
Lebogo was apparently questioned about corruption, fraud and money laundering, but a decision was deferred for later when the investigations into the ANCYL leader’s multi-million rand estate is completed.
Lebogo is considered to be Malema’s lieutenant and one of the key elements in the Hawks’ probe into tender corruption and fraud in Limpopo, which also implicates premier Cassel Mathale and other key Malema backers in the province.
Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela refused to comment on the matter, but The Sunday Independent has learnt that Lebogo was held on September 19 and was let go after being questioned.
“I would rather not comment about that,” Polela said.
The source said: “It is important that you make a distinction for your readers between being detained and being arrested. Lebogo was not arrested, he was detained and asked to explain where he got the huge sums of cash and why they were not being banked,” said the source.
Yesterday, Lebogo denied that he was detained and questioned.
“That is untrue. I was never detained. I was never arrested,” he said. Lebogo also said The Sunday Independent was not the first newspaper to call him with this allegation. “You must verify this with the Hawks and the police. People who told you this are just being malicious,” he said.
When asked if he was ever in possession of large sums of money, Lebogo said: “Where would I get such money?”
Last week The Sunday Independent revealed that the Hawks’ probe into Malema was at an advanced stage and that they had a prima facie case against the tough-talking politician. Our sources said it was only a matter of when, and not if, they would arrest and charge him.
Malema has responded by saying he was ready for the Hawks to interview him but also threatened to go to the Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, who is also ironically probing him, to complain about “leaks” on the investigation.
The probe into Malema’s financial affairs, which was caused by a report in The Sunday Independent about an R16m mansion he is building in a Sandton suburb, has seen the Hawks and investigators from Madonsela’s office slicing through Limpopo to piece together the story of how Malema and his allies allegedly loot state coffers through a cabal of influential politicians with links to the province’s tender purse.
The Hawks were investigating Malema for, among others, the Ratanang Family Trust, named after his son, which Malema allegedly used as a conduit for bribes, a company owned by Maruping, the mother of his son, and others that are run by Malema’s friends.
In February 2010, SGL Engineering Projects, a company Malema owned with his friend Lesiba Gwangwa, won tenders worth millions of rands from municipalities across Limpopo. Gwangwa is the CEO of On-Point Engineers, a company that was paid R52m in 2009 to administer the programme management unit (PMU) of the Limpopo roads and transport department for a period of three years.
On-Point is a sister company of SGL Engineering, which started out as Segwalo Consulting Engineers in 2002 and the Ratanang Family Trust has a stake in On Point.
However, Malema resigned as a director of SGL Engineering last year. In May 2008, Malema was controversially elected as the league’s president and, shortly after, the Ratanang Family Trust was registered at the Pretoria office of the Master of the High Court.
Segwalo Consulting, SGL and On-Point have used the same address and telephone numbers in Polokwane, and Gwangwa has been a director or member of each of the entities over the years.
Malema was a director of SGL in 2009 and 2010, but resigned around the time Madonsela investigated the company to see if he had unduly influenced the many tenders awarded to it.
The PMU was created to run the department’s functions for planning, contracting for and overseeing road works.
Gwangwa is a business partner and a close ally of Malema. In August, the Mail & Guardian reported that this means that Malema has at least indirect influence over who is awarded tenders – coming from a R4.6 billion roads and transport department budget.
The newspaper said companies linked to Malema, Gwangwa and Mathale, have shared in some of the contracts administered by the unit. At the time, Madonsela exonerated Malema. Last week’s revelations about Malema’s imminent arrest came as the ANCYL boss flew to Mauritius to attend the exclusive, R10m wedding of David Mabilu, one of his key Limpopo allies. Gwangwa also attended Mabilu’s wedding. – Staff Reporters
****ing kidding me?
Investigations unit, the Hawks, briefly detained Jacob Lebogo – a key ally of embattled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema – in their probe of corruption fraud and money laundering involving millions of rand in tenders.
The Sunday Independent can today reveal that the ANCYL Limpopo secretary Lebogo was detained for questioning as soon as he left his Polokwane home almost two months ago.
According to two sources close to the investigation into corruption charges against Malema, Lebogo was found with cash estimated at R2 million on his person and some notes in his car.
Lebogo’s brief detention was part of a province-wide investigation into tender irregularities in Limpopo, which are said to benefit Malema and his close allies.
A source close to the investigation said the Hawks would decide later whether to press charges against Lebogo or not.
“The idea (reason for not charging him yet) is to check whether he will be useful in the case against Malema or if his is a stand-alone case that must be pursued as such. But he could prove to be a useful pawn later,” said the source.
Lebogo was apparently questioned about corruption, fraud and money laundering, but a decision was deferred for later when the investigations into the ANCYL leader’s multi-million rand estate is completed.
Lebogo is considered to be Malema’s lieutenant and one of the key elements in the Hawks’ probe into tender corruption and fraud in Limpopo, which also implicates premier Cassel Mathale and other key Malema backers in the province.
Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela refused to comment on the matter, but The Sunday Independent has learnt that Lebogo was held on September 19 and was let go after being questioned.
“I would rather not comment about that,” Polela said.
The source said: “It is important that you make a distinction for your readers between being detained and being arrested. Lebogo was not arrested, he was detained and asked to explain where he got the huge sums of cash and why they were not being banked,” said the source.
Yesterday, Lebogo denied that he was detained and questioned.
“That is untrue. I was never detained. I was never arrested,” he said. Lebogo also said The Sunday Independent was not the first newspaper to call him with this allegation. “You must verify this with the Hawks and the police. People who told you this are just being malicious,” he said.
When asked if he was ever in possession of large sums of money, Lebogo said: “Where would I get such money?”
Last week The Sunday Independent revealed that the Hawks’ probe into Malema was at an advanced stage and that they had a prima facie case against the tough-talking politician. Our sources said it was only a matter of when, and not if, they would arrest and charge him.
Malema has responded by saying he was ready for the Hawks to interview him but also threatened to go to the Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, who is also ironically probing him, to complain about “leaks” on the investigation.
The probe into Malema’s financial affairs, which was caused by a report in The Sunday Independent about an R16m mansion he is building in a Sandton suburb, has seen the Hawks and investigators from Madonsela’s office slicing through Limpopo to piece together the story of how Malema and his allies allegedly loot state coffers through a cabal of influential politicians with links to the province’s tender purse.
The Hawks were investigating Malema for, among others, the Ratanang Family Trust, named after his son, which Malema allegedly used as a conduit for bribes, a company owned by Maruping, the mother of his son, and others that are run by Malema’s friends.
In February 2010, SGL Engineering Projects, a company Malema owned with his friend Lesiba Gwangwa, won tenders worth millions of rands from municipalities across Limpopo. Gwangwa is the CEO of On-Point Engineers, a company that was paid R52m in 2009 to administer the programme management unit (PMU) of the Limpopo roads and transport department for a period of three years.
On-Point is a sister company of SGL Engineering, which started out as Segwalo Consulting Engineers in 2002 and the Ratanang Family Trust has a stake in On Point.
However, Malema resigned as a director of SGL Engineering last year. In May 2008, Malema was controversially elected as the league’s president and, shortly after, the Ratanang Family Trust was registered at the Pretoria office of the Master of the High Court.
Segwalo Consulting, SGL and On-Point have used the same address and telephone numbers in Polokwane, and Gwangwa has been a director or member of each of the entities over the years.
Malema was a director of SGL in 2009 and 2010, but resigned around the time Madonsela investigated the company to see if he had unduly influenced the many tenders awarded to it.
The PMU was created to run the department’s functions for planning, contracting for and overseeing road works.
Gwangwa is a business partner and a close ally of Malema. In August, the Mail & Guardian reported that this means that Malema has at least indirect influence over who is awarded tenders – coming from a R4.6 billion roads and transport department budget.
The newspaper said companies linked to Malema, Gwangwa and Mathale, have shared in some of the contracts administered by the unit. At the time, Madonsela exonerated Malema. Last week’s revelations about Malema’s imminent arrest came as the ANCYL boss flew to Mauritius to attend the exclusive, R10m wedding of David Mabilu, one of his key Limpopo allies. Gwangwa also attended Mabilu’s wedding. – Staff Reporters
!?!? I know petrol price has gone through the roof, but come on... 
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