Trial date set for Talana Hostel tender saga

Tags

---

29-04-2022
Read : 985 times
Letaba Herald
Source

The R15.3 million government tender for the construction of the Talana Hostel in Tzaneen is set for trial.

The six accused, Constance Mohlala, Raymond Makoto Nkwane, Thobamotse Jeremiah Makofane, Simphiwe Nolwethemba Maphisa, Tsokollo Pacanin Monareng, and Lerato Pearl Dikhutso appeared in the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on three counts of fraud, corruption, and forgery on Wednesday, April 20.

The accused were arrested in December 2020, and they are out on bail. In September last year, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) concluded that the tender was fraudulently obtained. The director of Aventine Group CC, Constance Mohlala was granted bail of R20 000 and all other accused are out on bail of R10 000 each.

The appointed service provider, Aventine, allegedly made misrepresentations and forged documents of industry experts with no links to the company to influence the direction of the bid. “The investigation revealed that COGHSTA appointed an implementing agent, the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for the establishment of transitional residential areas.

“HDA then appointed a service provider, Aventino, to construct 192 units for a sum of R12.3 million. An extension of scope was approved to include the construction of 152 pit toilets and the installation of three water tanks (10 000 litres), for an additional fee of R3 million, taking the contract value to R15.3 million.

The service provider allegedly only managed to construct 40 shacks at Talana Hostel and submitted two invoices totaling over R2.5 million, which were paid between April and October 2020. At another site where units were supposed to be built, Burgersfort Ext.10, no structures were completed, only half build ones,” the SIU reported.

The suspects claimed an amount of over R2 million out of the R15 million that was supposed to be used for the 192 shacks and 53 toilets.
The case was postponed June 24 trial.